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FXEMENTARY HISTOR\ 



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UNITED STA1 





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COPYRIGHT DEPOSm 



V 



AN ELEMENTARY HISTORY 

OF THE 

UNITED STATES. 



AN 



ELEMENTARY HISTORY 



United States, 



BY 

CHARLES MORRIS, 

LUTHOR OF " HALF-HOURS WITH AMKRICAN HISTORY," "THE ARYAN RACE," 
"CIVILIZATION: A HISTORICAL RKVIEW OF ITS ELEMENTS." ETC. 



PENNSYLVANIA EDITION. 



PHILADKLPHIA : 

J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY. 






Copyright, 1890, by J 



Copyright, 1S98, by J 



Copyright, 1900, by J 



Copyright, 1907, by J 



Copyright, 1909, by J 



B. LippiNcoTT Company. 



B. LiPPiNCOTT Company. 



B. LiPPiNCOTT Company. 



B. LiPPiNCOTT Company. 



B. LIPPINCOTT Company. 



Copyright, 1912, by J. B. Lippincott Company. 



Printed by J. B. Lippincott Company 
The Washington Squat e Press, Philadelphia, U. S. A. 



lCI.A3HIGi6 



PREFACE 



Histories of the United States of America have 
been many times written, and in many ways; so often, 
indeed, that some might deem there was nothing more 
to say, or no new way of saying it. Yet new histories 
are of yearly appearance, and the world does not seem 
tired of welcoming them. These are usually written 
for the old; but why not new histories for the young? 
— who can certainly find no more profitable reading 
than the story of the origin and development of their 
own country. 

No romance, in fact, can possess more of interest 
and adventure, of heroic efforts and noble deeds, than 
may be found in the history of the discovery and settle- 
ment of the American continent, and the birth and 
growth of the great repubhc of the United States. In 
all the annals of mankind there is little to surpass it in 
interest, and nothing in importance. To the youthful 
American, indeed, it is indispensable, and whatever 
else he ma}^ learn, a full and accurate acquaintance 
with the story of his own land should stand first in his 
course of study, as a requisite preliminary to the 
making of an American citizen. 

This story is too near us to appeal to our minds 
with that glamor of romance which often clings to the 
records of more remote periods. To many it seems 
devoid of the interest of the era of chivalry, the charm 
of knighth' deeds and strange adventure, and takes 



vi PREFACE 

form in their minds instead as a detail of prosy incidents 
and matter-of-fact events. Yet suck a conception 
does great injustice to the true character of Amer- 
ican history, and to the numerous instances^ of heroic 
valor and chivalrous honor which give all the interest 
of romance to its pages. The deeds of our pioneers 
have never been surpassed in daring and the spirit of 
adventure, the progress of discovery and settlement in 
this country is a story -replete with attractiveness, 
and there is nothing more marvellous in fiction than 
the extraordinary progress of civilization in the region 
of the United States during the few centuries since 
settlement was first made upon its shores. 

History, however, in the modern sense of the word, 
covers a broader space than the tale of war and advent- 
ure, daring migration, and pohtical progress. There is 
the story of the people as well as of their leaders to tell, 
the home life of the masses, the record of manners and 
customs, invention, and peaceful development in the 
arts and sciences. Thus we are not alone concerned 
with war and the rumors of war, but also with peace and 
the triumphs of peace; not alone with political devel- 
opment, the formation of governments, the struggles 
of patriotism, and the growth of republicanism, but 
also with the details of every-day life, the description 
of those powerful influences which have made not only 
America but the Americans, and to which the citi- 
zens of our country owe that spirit of liberty and 
restless energy which has made them the envy of the 
oppressed masses of Europe, and their country the mod- 
ern "wonder of the world." This inner story of the 
American people is here briefly set forth in a series of 



PREFACE vii 

chapters descriptive of city and country life at various 
periods of our colonial and national history, each a 
picture of the people of America as they appeared at 
the times indicated. The progress of invention, strik- 
ing developments of mechanical ability, religious con- 
ditions, and all that makes up the multiform life of a 
great people, have been described as fully as the space 
at command permitted, with the design of making at 
once a history of the American nation and of the 
American people, adapted in style and language to the 
use of the young. As such it is offered to the school 
public of the United States, with the hope that it may 
prove a welcome addition to our historical literature. 

C. M. 



CONTENTS. 



PART I. 

THE ERA OF DISCOVERY. 

1. — The Voyage of Columbus 1 

2. — Explorations and Invasions 9 

3. — French and English Settlements. 18 

4. — The Indians 26 

Questions for Examination 31 

PART II. 

THE ENGLISH COLONIES. 

1. — Virginia 33 

2. — The Pilgrims and the Puritans 39 

3. — Indian Wars of New England. 49 

4 — Manners and Customs of the Puritans 54 

5. — New York 60 

6. — Life in New York 65 

7. — Maryland. 67 

S. — Pennsylvania 70 

9. — Life in Pennsylvania. 74 

10.— The Carolinas. 77 

IL — Life in Virginia and CaroHna 80 

12.— Georgia 85 

13. — Conditions of the Colonies 91 

Questions for Examination 94 

PART III. 

THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 

1. — The French in America 99 

2. — George Wasliington 105 

3.— The War in the North Ill 

Questions for Examination 117 

ix 



E CONTENTS. 

PART IV. 

THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 

1.— The Tyranny of England 119 

2.— The Work of the :\Iinute-Men 126 

3. — The War for Independence 1.37 

4.— The People and the Country 146 

Questions for Examination 154 

PART V. 

THE FIRST HALF CENTURY OF THE REPUBLIC. 

1. — The Making of the Government 157 

2. — Washington's Administration 161 

3. — John Adams's Administration 162 

4. — Jefferson's Administration 164 

5. — Madison's Administration 167 

6.— The War with Great Britain 169 

7. — Monroe's Administration 175 

8. — The John Quincy Adams Administration 178 

9. — The Progress of the Country 179 

Questions for Examination 187 

PART VI. 

TWENTY YEARS OF PROGRESS. 

1. — Jackson's Administration 189 

2. — Van Buren's Administration 192 

3. — The Harrison and Tyler Administration 193 

4. — Polk's Administration and War with Mexico 194 

5.— The Work of the People 199 

Questions for Examination 207 

PART VII. 

THE SLAVERY CONTEST AND CIVIL WAR. 

1. — The Taylor and Fillmore Administration 209 

2. — The Pierce Administration 211 

3. — The Buchanan Administration 212 

4. — The Lincoln Administration 214 



CONTENTS. xi 

5.— The North and South at War 216 

6.— The Final Years of the War 226 

Questions for Examination 234 

PART VIII. 

THE NEW UNION. 

1.— Results of the War 236 

2. — Johnson's Administration 23S 

3. — Grant's Administration 242 

4. — The Hayes Administration 245 

5. — The Garfield and Arthur Administration 247 

6.— Cleveland's First Administration 249 

7. — Benjamin Harrison's Administration 251 

8.— The Second Cleveland Administration 255 

9. — Mclvinley's Administration 257 

10. — Roosevelt's Administration 260 

11.— Taft's Administration , 264 

Questions for Examination 265 

PART IX. 

RECENT STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT. 

Recent Stages of Development 268 

Questions for Examination 283 



AN ELEMENTARY HISTORY 

OF THE 

United States 



PART I. 

THE ERA OF DISCOVERY. 



1. THE VOYAGE OF COLUMBUS. 

Four Hundred Years Ago. — The world had grown old, 
very old, before America was discovered. Great em- 
pires had risen in Europe and Asia, and passed away; 
untold milhons of men had lived and died; but not 
half the earth was known. Men did not even know its 
shape. Most persons thought that its surface was flat, 
and that the ocean everywhere spread around the 
land. Sailors were afraid to go far out to sea, and 
most of them kept in sight of land, for no one knew 
what dangers might lie on the open ocean, where 
man had never been. Many thought that a ship which 
sailed far out on the ocean would find itself ghding 
down a hill of waters, up which it could never climb 
again. Others believed that there was a region of fogs 
and mists, from which a ship, once lost, would never 
find its way out. Few of the learned men of the time 
thought that a vessel could pass round the earth and 
return to its starting-point. 
1 1 



THE ERA OF DISCOVERY 



The Mariner's Compass. — Before this time an impor-- 
tant discovery had been made. A kind of iron ore was 
found which had strange properties. It was what is 
now known as the loadstone, or natural magnet, and 
which has the power of attracting iron, and of pointing 
north and south. A steel needle rubbed on it acquires 
the same properties. Hung up by its centre, one end 
of the needle points towards the north. This was a dis- 
covery of the utmost importance to seamen. They 
could now, even though they were thousands of miles 
from land, tell by day or night in what direction they 
were saihng. Few things have been more useful to 
mankind than this little magnetic needle, known as the 
Mariner's Cojnpass. 

Marco Polo. — At the time of which we are speaking 
— the latter part of the fifteenth century — there was 
a great desire to discover new countries. Travellers 
had gone to far-off lands, and had come back with 

strange stories, which filled 
others with the love of 
adventure and discovery. 
One traveller, a Venetian 
named Marco Polo, had 
been as far as China and 
Japan, and brought back 
exciting accounts of the 
riches and wonders of those 
distant lands. The ships 
of the Portuguese had 
sailed down the coast of Africa as far as the Cape of 
Good Hope. The bold sailors of Norway and Denmark 
had crossed the cold northern seas to Iceland and Green- 




A Ship of the Northmen. 



THE VOYAGE OF COLUMBUS 3 

land, and had reached the shores of the American 
continent at a point they called Vinlancl (vine-land), 
though this fact was not known in Southern Europe. 

Christopher Columbus. — Among the many persons 
who wished to go on vo3^agcs of discovery was one 
whose name is known to us all, and will be remem- 
bered as long as America exists. He was born at 
Genoa, in Italy, about the year 1435, and was named 
Christopher Columbus. His father was a cloth weaver; 
but the people of Genoa were active seamen, and 
Columbus was sent to sea when he was but fourteen 
years of age, and became a skilful sailor. 

The World as then Known. — At that time the only 
region of the world that was well known to Europeans 
was their own country and the parts of Africa and Asia 
which border on the Mediterranean Sea. Of the rest 
of the world they knew very little. India and China 
were said to be rich and populous countries, and their 
silks and jewels and spices were brought to Europe by 
caravans at great expense. Columbus thought that 
these countries could be reached in an easier way. He 
believed that the earth was round, that the ocean 
must extend from the shores of Europe to the shores 
of Asia, and that if he sailed to the west across this 
ocean he would be sure to reach those distant lands. 
He did not know how far it was around the earth, but 
he was sure that land lay beyond the ocean. 

What Columbus Did. — It was not easy to make men 
believe this. For eighteen long years Columbus tried 
in vain to get the kings of Spain and Portugal to aid 
him in his plan. He grew sick at heart with delay and 
disappointment. At last Queen Isabella of Spain said 



THE ERA OF DISCOVERY 



that he should have the ships and men he asked for. If 
money could not be had she would lend her jewels to 
pay for them. And thus it was that Columbus got his 
ships. Three small vessels were given him, — we call 
them ships, but they were no larger than many of the 
sloops and yachts which we see moving up and down 
our large rivers. Two of them, the Pinta and the Nina, 
had no decks except at the prow and stern. Only one 
of them had a complete deck, the 
Santa Maria, commanded by 
Columbus himself. This vessel 
was ninety feet long, and had a 
crew of sixty-six sailors. 

The Size of the Expedition. — 
It seems strange to us that it 
took so many yesivs to induce 
the rulers of a great kingdom to 
furnish a few small ships for a 
voyage across the ocean and the 
discovery of a new world. Many river merchants 
to-day could fit out a much better expedition at a 
day's notice. Nothing could show more clearly how 
the world has grown in riches and enterprise during 
the last four hundred years. 

Columbus had almost as much trouble to get his 
sailors as his ships. Men were afraid to go with him. 
Many of those who sailed with him were forced to do 
so by order of the king, and went on board his ships 
full of fear. There were one hundred and twenty per- 
sons in all in the expedition which set sail from the 
port of Palos, in Spain, on the 3d of August, 1492, a 
date to be remembered in the history of the world. 




Columbus. 



THE VOYAGE OF COLUMBUS 



The Voyage of Discovery. — Let us stop here and 
think of the t^sk before our bold mariner. He had set 
sail on the most important voyage that had ever been 
undertaken. As he went onward day by day his ships 
left the known world farther behind them. Day by 
day new wonders and new terrors rose before them. 
The mariners sailed away into a vast ocean upon 




Columbus and the Scientists Discussing the Shape of the Earth. 

which no man had ever before ventured far from land. 
Their fears increased as they went onward. The 
needle of the compass no longer pointed exactly north, 
and this gave them great alarm, for they thought the 
sailor's friend was about to desert them. The winds 
blew them steadily westward; but these same winds 
might hinder them from ever coming back. They were 
scared by the distance they had gone, though Columbus 
took care not to let them know how far this was. 



% THE ERA OF DISCOVERY 

The men demanded to be taken back; they almost 
broke into open mutinj", and some of them talked of 
throwing Columbus overboard and going back without 
him. Yet he was not to be turned from his purpose. 
He had set sail for India, and he was determined to go 
on. He was still sure that the continent of Asia lay 
beyond the seas, and that in time they would reach it. 

Approach to Land. — Two months of this wonderful 
voyage passed away. Then the hearts of the sailors 
grew glad as their eyes beheld welcome signs. Land 
birds were seen flying about the ships. One of the 
men picked up out of the water a branch of a tree, on 
which there were fresh red berries. A piece of carved 
wood floated past them, and also some drifting sea 
weed, with live crabs clinging to it. Hope now took the 
place of fear; all eyes looked forward in search of land. 

At last it appeared. During the night before the 12th 
of October a distant light was seen shining across the 
waters. When morning came Columbus, from the deck 
of his little ship, gazed with joy and triumph on the 
green shores of the land he had so long hoped to see. 
There it lay before him, bright and beautiful, — a sunny 
island, covered with forest trees, — a scene of beauty on 
which the eyes of civilized man had never before gazed. 

What Columbus Believed. — The voyage was over; 
the victory was gained. The greatest discovery in 
human history had been made. Yet he who made it 
never knew how great his work had been. To the day 
of his death Columbus believed that it was the coast of 
India he had reached, and he gave the name of Indians 
to the strange, red-skinned natives who crowded out 
of the woods to gaze with wonder on his vessels. 



THE VOYAGE OF COLUMBUS 



It was in this way that the natives of America came 
to be called , Indians, after a country thousands of 
miles away. Little did Columbus dream of the great 
continent of America, with its plains and mountains, 
its lakes and forests, peopled then only by savages, 
but which was in time to become the seat of one of the 
greatest and noblest of nations. 




T,i,. La>,,i;>. 



>t LOLU.MBIS. 



The Landing of Columbus. — At the break of day, 
with waving banners and ringing music, Columbus was 
rowed to the shore. He was richly dressed in scarlet 
robes and bore in his hand the great banner of Spain, 
with its bright hues ot red and gold. The captains of 
the other vessels carried a banner designed by Colum- 
bus himself, in the centre of which was a green cross. 
On reaching the shore the admiral kneeled and kissed 
the ground; then rising, he drew his sword, and 
declared that the island which he had discovered 



8 THE ERA OF DISCOVERY 

belonged to the King and Queen of Spain. The natives 
looked on in wonder and admiration. They did not 
dream of the misery all this meant for them. 

New Lands Discovered. — The poor natives supposed 
that the white men had come from heaven. Columbus 
gave them glass beads, and in return they gave what 
they had, — parrots and balls of cotton. They wore 
some ornaments made of gold, and Columbus asked 
them by signs where gold was to be found. They 
pointed to the south. The sailors returned to their 
ships and sailed south among the beautiful islands of 
those seas until they reached the large island now 
known as Hayti. Columbus named it Hispaniola (little 
Spain). From there they sailed back to Spain. 

The Reception in Spain. — The excitement in Spain 
was very great when Columbus and his companions 
returned with their remarkable story. Men heard with 
wonder of lands beyond the seas, inhabited by a race of 
red-skinned savages, and rich beyond their dreams. 
It was said by some that the sands of every river shone 
with grains of gold, that the meanest Indians wore 
ornaments of gold and jewels, and that the walls of 
the houses ghttered with pearls. None of these stories 
was too wild for men to beheve, and many grew eager 
to visit this New ^Yorld of wealth and splendor. 

Columbus and his men entered the streets of Barce- 
lona in a grand procession to meet the king and queen 
of Spain. The red Indians, with their decorations of 
tropical feathers and golden ornaments, were looked 
upon with wonder. The bright-winged birds, the 
strange-shaped parrots, the rare plants and fruits, the 
unknown fabrics which were displayed in the procession, 



EXPLORATIONS AND INVASIONS 9 

all excited admiration. Columbus rode triumphantly 
onward, surrounded by a brilliant cavalcade of Spanish 
nobles, to receive the high honors bestowed upon him 
by the king and queen. Europe had never seen a pro- 
cession like this, for never before had the wonders of a 
new world been shown to the eyes of the Old World, 
as the eastern hemisphere was afterwards called. 

The Misfortunes of the Discoverer. — Yet this was 
almost the last happy moment in the life of the great 
discoverer. The remainder of his life was saddened 
by the injustice of the people, and the ingratitude of 
the monarch of Spain. He made three other voyages 
to America, and in the third voyage discovered the 
mainland of South America, near the mouth of the 
Orinoco River. From one of his voyages he was sent 
home in chains by his enemies. And he had not even 
the honor of giving his name to the continent he had 
discovered. The name of America was taken from 
Amerigo Vespucci, whose account of the New World 
was the first to be printed. Columbus died in 1506, of 
a disease brought on by his hardships, troubles, and 
sufferings, a victim of the ingratitude of Spain. He 
gave orders that the chains which had been so shame- 
fully fastened on his limbs should be buried with him. 

2. EXPLORATIONS AND INVASIONS. 

The discovery of America by Columbus was the 
greatest event that had taken place for hundreds of 
years. If such a discovery should be made in our days, 
we may be sure that it would not be long before many 
vessels would be off to the new land. But in those 
days news spread slowly. Ships were few and small, 



10 THE ERA OF DISCOVERY 

and neither kings nor people had much money. Most 
of what they had was spent in wars. Spain sent vessels 
from time to time to the rich islands which Columbus had 
discovered, but the other nations were slow to send ships. 

The Cabots. — England was the first to follow Spain. 
The town of Bristol, in England, was then a great ship- 
ping port. There lived in this town a merchant named 
John Cabot, who was born at Venice. This man wished 
to go on a voyage of discovery to the new lands, and 
got permission from the king, Henry VII., to do so. 
Cabot taking his son, he sailed across the ocean until he 
reached an unknown coast in the far north. Columbus, 
so far, had discovered only islands and Cabot was the 
first to reach the American continent. This was in 1497. 

Cabot's papers and maps are lost, and all we know 
of his voyage is that he found the country cold and 
barren, and saw a great many white bears. It is 
said that after his return he was called ''The Great 
Admiral," and went about dressed in rich clothing 
and followed by crowds of people. 

The next year his son, Sebastian Cabot, sailed to 
America. He also reached land in the north, but he 
kept on southward until he came to the coast of Vir- 
ginia or Carolina. Like his father, he was received with 
honor on his return. Men called him "The Great Sea- 
man," and many years afterwards Edward VI. gave 
him a pension. He lived to be very old, but the time 
and place of his death are unknown. This was all that 
these men obtained for discovering a continent. Their 
great honor came long after they were dead. 

The Fishermen. — Not long after this the daring 
fishermen of Europe began to make voyages across 



EXPLORATIONS AND INVASIONS 11 

the ocean to the waters of Newfoundland, where the 
Cabots had found fish in vast numbers. One of them, 
named John Denys, sailed up the Gulf of St. Lawrence 
in 1506. But they were after fish, not honor, and did 
not trouble themselves to seek unknown lands. 

Verrazano. — France did not send an expedition to 
the New World till 1524. Then the thought came to 
Francis I., the French king, that he had as much 
right as Spain to the wealth of these distant lands. 
So he had a ship made ready, and gave the command of 
it to an Italian seaman named Verrazano, who sailed 
far along the coast to the harbor of what is now known 
as Newport, Rhode Island, where he found grape-vines 
growing, and began to trade with the Indians. 

But the red men were afraid of their visitors, and 
would not let them land. They lowered their goods 
to the boats with ropes from the tops of steep rocks. 
We do not know what these goods were, but they 
would take nothing in exchange but knives, fish-hooks, 
and tools for cutting. These savages knew very well 
what would be of use to them. 

The Claims of the Nations. — We may know from this 
what little right Spain, England, and France had to 
claim these new lands. They sent ships across the 
ocean and took a look at them from the sea, and then 
said that all the land they had seen belonged to them. 
As for the Indians, no one seemed to think that they 
had any right to the country. They were looked on as 
little better than so many flies, that might be brushed 
aside by any one who was strong enough to do it. 

Cartier's Voyages. — Francis I. now became busy in 
wars with his neighbors, and did not send out any 



12 



THE ERA OF DISCOVERY 



more ships for ten years. Then two ships set sail 
under a captain named Jacques Cartier. They entered 
the Gulf of St. Lawrence, where Cartier landed and set up 
a cross, with the king's coat of arms fastened to it. This 
was done to secure that region for the King of France. 
Cartier made two more voyages, and sailed up the 
great St. Lawrence River as far as where the city of 
Montreal now stands. He called the country Canada 
from the Indian word "Kannatha," which means 

village, but which he thought 
was the Indian name for the 
whole country. 

Ponce de Leon. — While the 
English and French were making 
these discoveries the Spaniards 
were not idle. After Columbus, 
other mariners crossed the ocean, 
making new discoveries and 
forming settlements. In 1512 
Ponce de Leon, the governor of 
Porto Rico, set out on a romantic voyage. He had 
been told by the Indians of a magical fountain which 
would bring back youth to every man who bathed in 
its waters. As he was growing old, he was eager to 
find this wonderful fountain, that he might bathe in 
it, and be young again. In his search for it he 
found a new country, which he called Florida. But 
he did not discover the fountain, and got death instead 
of life from his effort, for he was killed by the Indians. 
Balboa. — Another Spaniard, named Balboa, crossed 
the isthmus which connects North and South America, 
and looked with wonder on the waters of that great 




EXPLORATIONS AND INVASIONS 



13 



Pacific Ocean which no white man's eyes had ever 
before seen. He had made a long and dangerous jour- 
ney over mountains and through fierce tribes of Indians, 
but he was paid for all his trouble when he saw, from 
the summit of a lofty hill, the waters of that great 
ocean, brightly shining in the rays of the sun. Never 
had man made a more glorious discovery, or human 
eyes gazed on a nobler sight. 







An Aztec Temple. 

Magellan. — Three years after the death of Balboa, a 
Spanish fleet, under Fernando Magellan, sailed round 
South America, through the strait that now bears 
his name, and came out on the waters of the great 
ocean which Balboa had seen. One of Magellan's ships 
went on until it had sailed round the globe, and proved 
in this way that the earth is round. Magellan thus com- 
pleted the work which Columbus had set out to do. 

Cortez and Pizarro. — Before many years had passed 
the Spaniards did some bold and marvellous deeds on 



14 THE ERA OP DISCO\^RY 

the American continent. One captain, named Cortez, 
with a few hundred men, conquered the great empire of 
Mexico; and another, named Pizarro, did the same in 
the rich kingdom of Peru. They sent to Spain great 
quantities of gold and silver. But the Indians were 
treated by them with dreadful cruelty, and great num- 
bers of the red men died of inhuman treatment before 
the Spaniards had been many years in their land. 

Narvaez. — Another Spaniard, named Xarvaez, landed 
in Florida in 1528, and went far to the north. 
He and his comrades were in search of gold; but 
instead of rich cities, like those of Mexico, they found 
only swamps and forests and fighting Indians, and of 
three hundred men only four came back alive. 

Hernando de Soto. — There is one more Spaniard 
about whom we must speak, for he was the first white 
man whose eyes fell upon the great Mississippi River, 
and his adventures were very interesting. While other 
nations of Europe were sending ships to look at the coast 
of the New World, Hernando de Soto was wandering far 
through its interior and making important discoveries. 

In 1539, De Soto landed in Florida with an army of 
about six hundred men, and with plenty of arms and 
provisions. He was a soldier who had been in Peru 
with Pizarro, and he wished to conquer Florida as 
Pizarro had conquered Peru. The whole country to 
the far west was then called Florida, and De Soto 
expected to find there great cities and much gold and 
silver, such as had been found in Peru and Mexico. 
He did not dream that he would find only tribes of 
poor savages, with no treasures of any value to him, 
and that he would never leave their country alive. 



EXPLORATIONS AND INVASIONS 



15 




De Soto. 



De Soto's Expedition. — The overland march of the 
Spaniards was a long and tiresome one. The men soon 
wanted to go back, but De Soto 
would not listen to them. From 
time to time the Indians gave 
him pearls, or ornaments of gold, 
and this kept him full of hope. 
He felt sure there must be rich 
nations ahead, and he kept march- 
ing on and on, seeking the gold 
which he never found. 

The Indians were angry at seeing 
these strangers in their country, 
and at the cruel manner in which the Spaniards treated 
them, and many fierce battles took place. The Span- 
iards were always victorious, but numbers of them were 
killed, and they suffered much from the want of food. 

De Soto led his army along the coast lands of the 
Gulf of Mexico, through tribe after tribe of Indians. 
These men in iron armor, with their prancing horses 
and shining arms, their banners and music and waving 
plumes, must have been a strange vision to the igno- 
rant savages. But the natives soon found that those 
whom the}^ at first took to be gods were only men, 
and they sought to drive them from their country. 

The Mississippi. — Yet De Soto kept on. In time he 
reached a point near where the city of Memphis now 
stands. Here, to his delight, he saw before him a 
mighty river, the great stream now known as the 
Mississippi. It was with proud eyes that the Spaniards 
gazed on this noble stream, flowing down grandly 
from the distant north. 



16 



THE ERA OF DISCOVERY 



They soon had to cross this river to escape the 
Indians, and they roamed for many miles through the 
country on the other side. The Indians here wished 
to be friendly, but the Spaniards as usual treated them 
badly, and as a result they tried to kill the whites. 




De Soto Discovering the Mubsissippi. 

The Fate of De Soto and His Men.— For three years 
De Soto and his men had been in the wilds of Amer- 
ica, and had found nothing but hard marching, fight- 
ing, and the pangs of hunger. At length they decided 
wO return to their own country. But the bold leader did 
not live to see his native land again. Worn out with 
his toil, he died on the banks of the great river he had 
discovered, and was buried in its waters to save his 
body from the fury of the Indians. He was sunk in 
the waves at dead of night, and his followers began to 
build themselves boats, for they did not dare to try to 
return by land. 



EXPLORATIONS AND INVASIONS 17 

When their boats were ready they laanched them 
on the stream, and for seventeen days they floated 
down its waters. For fifty days more they sailed 
about the Gulf of Mexico, until they reached a small 
Spanish settlement, from which they were sent to the 
island of Cuba. 

They had gone out strong in numbers and splendid 
in dress and arms. The}^ came back a few ragged and 
half-starved m.en, without gold to show, and with only 
battles and sufferings to tell of. And thus ended one 
of the greatest and proudest of the Spanish expeditions 
to America. 

Sir Francis Drake. — Now that we have said so much 
about the Spanish explorers, we must say something 
about a great English sailor, named Sir Francis Drake, 
who for nearly thirty years spent his life in fighting 
with the Spaniards on both sides of the ocean. Much 
of this was in the West Indies, but in 1572 he 
crossed the Isthmus of Darien, as Balboa had done 
many years before, and gazed on the waters of the 
Pacific Ocean. 

Drake in the Pacific. — The bold sailor made up his 
mind to sail in an English ship on that vast sea, and 
he went thither in 1578, sailing up the coast of Chili 
and Peru, and winning great treasure from the Span- 
ish ships and settlements. He went as far north as 
the coast of Oregon, and landed at Drake's Bay, north 
of San Francisco, where he claimed the country for the 
king of England and named it New Albion. Then he 
sailed across the Pacific, and around Southern Africa 
thus making a voyage around the earth, as one of the 
ships of Magellan had done before him. 
3 



18 THE ERA OF DISCOVERY 

3. FRENCH AND ENGLISH SETTLEMENTS. 

The Northern Country. — Many years passed away 
before any white men came to live in the country 
which is now known as the United States. The 
Spaniards had many towns and rich colonies in the 
West Indies, in Mexico, and in South America, but 
the northern country was still left to the Indians. No 
one cared to settle on its shores. No gold or silver had 
been found there, and people in those days seemed to 
think there was nothing else worth having. Since 
then we have learned that the soil of the United States 
is far more valuable than all the gold and silver that 
the Spaniards found in America. 

A French Enterprise. — It was not till 1562 that any 
settlers came. Then some Frenchmen crossed the 
ocean and built a fort at what is now Port Royal, in 
South Carolina. They named this country Carolina, 
after Charles IX., the king of France. These men 
were known as Huguenots, or people of the Protestant 
religion, while the religion of France was the Catholic. 
They had left their country because they were badly 
treated on account of their religious belief. 

Jean Ribault, who brought them, soon went back to 
France. After he left, the colony did not get on well. 
Most of the men were lazy and would not work, and the 
Indians, who did not like them, refused to give them 
food. Many of them died, and those who remained 
alive built a rude sort of vessel and sailed away for home. 

The Florida Colony. — Two 3'ears afterwards another 
party of Frenchmen came to America and built a fort 
near the mouth of the St. John's River, in Florida. 



FRENCH AND ENGLISH SETTLEMENTS 19 

This colony was as idle as the other. The men spent 
their time in hunting for gold and fighting the Indians. 
They would not take the trouble to raise food from 
the earth, and they suffered from hunger till vessels 
came with food from France. Some of them turned 
pirates, and sailed away to rob the Spanish settlements. 

St. Augustine. — The Spaniards were very angry when 
they learned that the French had settled in Florida. 
They claimed this country as their own, and sent out a 
party to take possession and to drive out the new- 
comers. This party was led by a man named Menen- 
dez, who built a fort which he called St. Augustine. A 
town in time grew up there, and it is of interest to re- 
member that this town, laid out in 1565, is the oldest 
in the United States. The ruins of the old Spanish 
buildings may still be seen. The next oldest town is 
Santa Fe in New Mexico. 

The Massacre.— And now began those terrible wars 
of white men which have shed so much blood on the 
soil of this land. Up to that time all the fighting had 
been with the Indians, but now the whites began the 
dreadful work of killing one another. Menendez led his 
men through the woods and swamps of Florida to the 
French settlement. There they took Fort Carolina — 
the French fort — by surprise, and killed all the people 
they found in it, except a few who escaped to the woods. 

The Spaniards did a more cruel deed than this. A 
part of the French had gone to attack St. Augustine, 
but their vessel was wrecked on the coast, and the 
men barely saved their lives. They wandered half 
starved through the woods till they found themselves 
in sight of St. Augustine. 



20 THE ERA OF DISCOVERY 

Menendez told them that if they would come over 
the river into the town no harm should be done to 
them. But as fast as they came over he had their 
arms tied behind them, and he then set his soldiers on 
them and murdered them all. Four hundred men 
were slain in that awful massacre. Menendez had 
these words placed on the trees near by: ''I do this 
not as to Frenchmen, but as to Lutherans." It was 
rehgious hatred that made him do this cruel deed. 

The Massacre Revenged. — ^When the news of this deed 
of bloodshed came to France the people were full of 
anger. One soldier, named Dominique de Gourgues, 
resolved to be revenged. He sailed for Florida with 
three small ships, and took Fort Carolina by surprise, 
as the Spaniards had before taken it from the French. 
There were more than three hundred men in it, most 
of whom were killed. Only sixty were taken prisoners. 

De Gourgues wrote the following words, and placed 
them where all could see: "I do this not to Spaniards, 
but to traitors, thieves, and murderers." Then he 
hanged all his prisoners, destroyed the fort, and sailed 
back to France. The murder of the Protestants had 
been terribly revenged. 

Sir Humphrey Gilbert. — It was not until after this 
time that the English first tried to make settlements in 
America. The earliest of them was Sir Humphrey Gil- 
bert, who came across the ocean in 1583 to found a 
colony. But a storm arose, and the leader and his 
vessel, with all on board, went to the bottom. One of 
his ships reached England with the news of his loss. 

Sir Walter Raleigh. — The next year a young man 
named Sir Walter Raleigh, half-brother to Gilbert, 



FRENCH AND ENGLISH SETTLEMENTS 



21 




Raleigh. 



sent an expedition to the New World, and in 1585 
he sent out seven ships, with a hundred persons 
on board, to make a settlement on Roanoke Island, 
on the coast of North Carolina. 

These people soon got into 
trouble with the Indians, and all 
returned to England in an English 
vessel that happened to stop at 
the island. They took with them 
the first tobacco that was ever 
seen in England. Sir Walter 
Raleigh is said to have been the 
first man who smoked tobacco in 
Europe. The story is told that a servant who came 
into his room while he was smoking thought that he 
was in flames, and threw a mug of beer in his face 
to put out the fire. 

The Lost Colony. — The next summer Raleigh sent 
another colony to Roanoke Island. A child, named 
Virginia Dare, was born in this colony, — the first 
English child born in America. There was war then 
between England and Spain, and it was three years 
before another vessel could be sent across the ocean. 
When it got to Roanoke Island the colony was gone. 
Not a man, woman, or child could be found. There 
were some letters cut in the bark of a tree, only this 
being left to show that white men had ever been there. 

Raleigh sent vessel after vessel to search for his lost 
colony, but no trace of it could ever be found. What 
became of the colonists no one will ever know. If the 
Indians knew they would not tell, and the secret died 
with them. 



22 THE ERA OF DISCOVERY 

Other Expeditions. — No other efforts were made to 
place colonies in the region of the United States till 
after the year IGOO, more than a century after the dis- 
covery by Columbus. First among the new-comers 
was a captain named Bartholomew Gosnold, who 
brought out a colony to America in 1G02; but he took 
it back again, because he was short of food and the 
men feared they might starve. 

The French succeeded in founding a colony before 
the English. In 1604, Poutrincourt, a Frenchman, 
planted a colony in Nova Scotia at a place which he 
called Port Royal. This place, which, under the name 
of Annapolis, became well known in after years, is 
on the coast of the Bay of Fundy. It was the first 
permanent French colony in America. 

Samuel de Champlaln. — ^Before speaking of the Eng- 
lish and Dutch colonies that were formed soon after- 
wards we must say something about the doings of a 
Frenchman, named Samuel de Champlain, who was 
the first white man that had much to do with the 
Indians of the north. 

He went up the St, Lawrence River in 1G03, and 
came again in 1608, when he founded the city of 
Quebec at a lofty place on the river bank. This old city 
still stands on the rocky hill where he placed it. It is 
a quaint, old-fashioned place, with many ancient 
houses, and travellers like to visit it. 

Champlain was a bold and active man and very fond 
of travel and adventure. He had the hope that he 
might find a way across the country by the rivers and 
lakes, and so reach China. But there were savage 
Indians in his way. In what we know as the State of 



FRENCH AND ENGLISH SETTLEMENTS 23 

New York were the Iroquois tribes of Indians, or the 
"Five Nations" as they were afterwards called. Far- 
ther north were the Hurons and other tribes of the St. 
Lawrence, who were enemies of the Iroquois. 

Discovery of Lake Champlain.— In 1609 Champlain 
and some companions went in boats up the St. Law- 
rence and the St. John Rivers, while the Hurons and 
other tribes followed in their canoes. They were going 
to fight with their enemies, the Iroquois, and the 
French had promised to help them. It was not long 
before the boats came out on a beautiful lake which 
the eyes of white men had never seen before. It is 
called Lake Champlain, after its discoverer. 

Battle with the Indians. — On the shores of this lake 
they met the Iroquois, and a fierce battle began,— 
the first battle with the Indians in the northern part 
of the New World. The Iroquois were brave warriors 
and fought boldly, but when Champlain and the two 
white men who were with him stood forward and 
fired their muskets they were filled with terror. 
They had never before seen anything of the kind. 
The noise seemed to them like thunder. Their chiefs 
began to fall dead, with nothing to show what had 
killed them. 

With a yell of fear the Indians fled. They left every- 
thing in their fright. Some of them were killed; more 
were taken prisoners. These the Hurons took back 
with them to torture and burn at the stake, which was 
their cruel way of treating captives taken in war. 

Champlain had many other adventures among the 
Indians. In 1614 he went south with a war party of 
Hurons, and made an attack on a fort of the Iroquoia, 



24 



THE ERA OF DISCOVERY 



The fight was a hard one, but the Hurons were driven 
off, and Champlain was twice wounded. 

The Revenge of the Iroquois. — The Iroquois took a 
terrible revenge on their enemies. Champlain, whom 
they were afraid of, died in 1635. In 1G48 they made 




«%i^^»^ 
^^\ 






CHAMI'l.AIN AMI 1111. IlilKiUOIS 



an attack on the French in Canada, and killed a great 
many of them. The tribe of the Hurons was broken 
up and destroyed. For many years afterwards the 
French scarcely dared leave their forts for fear of the 
Indians, who in time got fire-arms of their own and 
ceased to fear those of the whites. 

The Iroquois consisted of five tribes, the Mohawks, 
the Oneidas, the Onondagas, the Cayugas, and the 



FRENCH AND ENGLISH SETTLEMENTS 



25 



Senecas. Afterwards another tribe, the Tuscaroras, 
joined them, and they became known as the "Six 
Nations." They were very warhke and long after- 
wards took part in the wars of the colonists. 

Henry Hudson. — There was one other voyage of 
which we must speak. This was made by the Dutch, 
who then were a very active seafaring people, and 
thought they ought to have a share in the New World. 
So they sent across the ocean a vessel which had the odd 
name of the Half- 
Moon. Its captain 
was Henry Hudson, 
an Englishman. This 
was in the year 1609. 

The Half-Moon 
sailed along the coast 
until it reached a 
broad and fine bay. 
Up this bay it went 
until it came into the 
great river which 
has ever since been known as Hudson River. Here 
some of the Indian chiefs came on board and received 
a fatal present from the hands of the captain. We 
have told how the tobacco of the Indians was taken to 
Europe. In return the white men brought brandy to 
the Indians. Hudson gave the chiefs some of this strong 
liquor to drink, and they became intoxicated. This was 
probably the first knowledge they had of that poison 
which afterwards killed more of them than the rifle. 

The Half-Moon sailed up the river as far as it could 
go. On coming back the Dutch were attacked by the 




^. TX.i^ftU. 



The Half-Moon in the Hudson. 



26 THE ERA OF DISCOVERY 

Indians, but some cannon were fired and the savages 
fled in the utmost terror. Hudson now sailed back 
to Europe with the story of the discovery he had 
made. He afterwards discovered Hudson Bay, which 
was also named after him. As he wanted to go farther 
his discontented men set him adrift upon its waters, 
and the adventurer was left to perish in misery. 

4. THE INDIANS. 

Who Owned the Land?— The English, the French, 
the Spanish, and the Dutch, as we have said, sent 
ships to America, and for a long time afterwards there 
were disputes and fights among them to decide who 
owned the land, and how it should be divided. Many 
good men now think that it did not belong to any of 
them, but to the old inhabitants of the country, and 
that the white men treated these very unjustly. 

Who were these old inhabitants? Everywhere that 
the white men had landed they had found tribes of 
red or copper-colored men, some of whom were gentle 
and friendly, others fierce and warlike. Before we go 
on with our story we must tell something about these 
people. 

The American Natives. — The Indians, as Columbus 
had named them, were found in every part of North 
and South America, and had been there for a long 
time. Some of them were partly civihzed, but others 
were savages, and lived in a very rude manner. Most 
of the Indians of the country which we now know as 
the United States were savages and were a fierce and 
cruel people, who spent much of their time in killing 
one another. Many of them dwelt in the forests, and 



THE INDIANS 27 

lived by hunting. Others raised crops of Indian corn, 
and dwelt in towns and villages, and had passed from 
the savage into what is known as the barbarian state. 

The Mound=Builders. — Long ago, no one can tell how 
long, there dwelt in this region a people who seem to 
have been very active and industrious. We know this 
because much of their work remains. In some of the 
western States there are hills of earth, called by us 
mounds, which were made by the hands of men. Most 
of these are small, but some are very large. 

In these mounds have been found tools of stone and 
other substances, pots made of burnt clay, stone pipes, 
pieces of copper, and many other things. Some of these 
were made with great care and skill. The largest of the 
mounds must have taken years to build and required the 
labor of thousands of people. When white men reached 
the south they found mounds still in use by the Indians 
of that region, temples being built on some of them. 

Habits of the Indians. — The mound-builders belonged 
to an older time. When the whites first came most of 
the country in which we now live was covered with 
forests, in which savages lived and hunted. These peo- 
ple were of a copper color with black eyes and hair, 
and were divided into tribes. Some of them lived only 
by hunting; others raised corn and other vegetables. 
Most of them dwelt in little tents covered with skin or 
bark, and called "wigwams," but some tribes built 
large houses, in which many families lived together. 

The Indians did not care much for their houses. 
They liked better to spend their time in the open air. 
They were very fond of roving about through the 
forests^ hunting wild animals and fighting with one 



28 THE ERA OF DISCOVERY 

another. They dressed in the skins of these animals, 
painted their faces and bodies, and ornamented them- 
selves with feathers and the claws of wild beasts. All 
the hair of their head was shaved off, except one lock, 
called the scalp-lock. When one of them was killed 
in war this lock was used to pull off his scalp, or the 
skin of his head. The Indians were very proud of the 
scalps which they took in war. 

They were fond of fighting, and very cruel to their 
prisoners. It was their custom to tie these to a stake 
or tree, heap wood round them, and burn them to 
death. And they tortured them in every cruel way 
they could. The Indians fought with bows and arrows, 
and with stone hatchets called "tomahawks." But 
after the whites came to America they got iron hatchets 
and fire-arms, and dressed themselves in blankets 
instead of skins as before. Some tribes built forts 
of timber, often in the midst of swamps. These were 
strong, and not easy to capture. 

Indian Home Life. — At home the women had to do 
all the work. The men were too proud to do much 
but hunt and fight. They were very expert in making 
stone pipes and weapons, and canoes of birch bark in 
which they paddled about the rivers. These canoes 
were very light. They could be carried long distances 
through the forests, and they floated lightly in the water. 
Fire was obtained by rubbing two sticks together until 
they became so hot as to break into a blaze.* 

The food of the Indians consisted of corn and a few 

♦Without fire civilization could not exist, so this method of 
making fire may be looked upon as one of the first steps towards 
the high civilization which we now enjoy. 



THE INDIANS 



29 



vegetables they raised, and of the game they killed in the 
forests. They had tobacco, of which they were very fond, 
and which they soon taught the white men to smoke. 
In return the white men taught them to drink whisky, — 
a much worse gift than that of tobacco. Some writers 
think that whisky has killed more Indians than muskets. 




Indian Warriors at Rest and their Wives 
AT Work. 



Government. — 

The tribes of the 
Indians were divided 
into smaller bodies, 
which may be called 
clans. Each clan 
paid great respect to some animal, which it called its 
totem, such as the wolf, the tortoise, the bear, etc. The 
clans had chiefs whom they called sachems, who ruled 
them in peace, and other chiefs who ruled them in war. A 
number of such clans formed a tribe, and several tribes 
joined together formed a league or confederacy. As an 
example of these leagues may be named the Iroquois. 
Religion. — The religious ideas of the Indians were 
very simple. Each Indian thought that he was taken 



30 THE ERA OF DISCOVERY 

care of by the spirit of the animal that formed his 
totem. He had great respect for this animal, though 
he did not mind killing the totems of other Indians. 
Most of them believed in spirits of the winds and stars, 
and many of them thought that there was a Great 
Spirit, who ruled over all men and all things. 

Their priests they called "medicine men." These 
were their doctors as well as priests, and did every- 
thing by charms and spells. Many of them may have 
been great rogues. The tribes had religious songs 
and dances, and many other ceremonies, some of which 
were strange and noisy, and some painful and cruel. 

For money the Indians used round pieces of sca-shclls, 
in which they bored holes and strung them on strings. 
These they called wampum. They knew nothing about 
reading and writing, but used simple marks and signs 
by which they could tell one another many things. 

Their Sagacity. — The Indians were brave and bold 
and would do anything to kill those whom they hated. 
They had wonderful skill in tracking their enemies 
through the wilds and forests. Where white men 
could see nothing, the Indians could see the marks 
of footsteps on the dead leaves or the dry ground, and 
could follow a trail for many miles as easily as a dog 
can follow an animal by its scent. 

This made them very dangerous to the whites. They 
could travel very far in a day, and could go in a straight 
line through thick forests where the sun was not to 
be seen. Many white travellers were captured and 
killed by them. But in time some of the whites learned 
the Indian ways, and could follow a trail as well as 
these forest rovers. 



THE INDIANS 31 

The Southern Tribes. — In the country near the Gulf 
of Mexico the Indians were more civiHzed than in the 
north. They had many towns or large villages, and 
their chiefs had much power. The sun was their god, 
and some of the tribes had temples, with numbers of 
priests and much ceremony. Farther west, in the Rocky 
Mountain region, were tribes which built great stone 
houses, with hundreds of rooms, large enough for a 
whole tribe to live in one house. 

Quarrels with the Whites. — The Indians at first were 
friendly to the whites. They gave them land and were 
willing to help them in any way they could. But it was 
not long before quarrels began. Sometimes the white 
men were in the wrong, and sometimes the Indians, but 
dreadful scenes followed. The Indians would march 
silently through the forests and fall on the settlements, 
burning the houses and killing the people, or taking 
them away as prisoners. The whites would attack the 
tribes in return, and kill all the Indians they could. 

But the whites were the stronger and drove the 
Indians back step by step, and took possession of 
nearly the whole country. The savages now own only 
a small portion of the great continent which was once 
all their own. But they are forced to live in peace, 
and they are better off than when most of their time 
was spent in war and bloodshed. 



PART I.— QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION. 

1. What was known of the world four hundred years ago? 
What was thought would happen to vessels that sailed out d 
sight of land? What is the mariner's compass? What journey 
did Marco Polo make? W^hat did the Northmen discover? "VVTio 



32 THE ERA OF DISCOVERY 

was Christopher Columbus? How did he think Asia could be 
reached? "What troubles did he have? "When did he sail on his 
voj^age of discovery? Why were the sailors afraid? ^^^lat made 
them think they were near land? On what day was land dis- 
covered? What were the inhabitants like? AMiy were they called 
Indians? Describe the landing of Columbus. WTiat stories were 
told by the sailors when they returned to Spain? How was 
Columbus received? What was his history afterwards? 

2. "Wlio was John Cabot? Describe his voyage. What did 
Sebastian Cabot discover? What did the fishermen do? Describe 
the voyage of Verrazano. What did Cartier do? Viho was Ponce 
de Leon? What did he discover? What did Balboa discover? 
Who made the first voyage around the globe? What conquests 
were made by Cortez and Pizarro? Where did Xarvaez go? 
What did De Soto seek? Where did he journey? Describe his 
death and burial. What was done by Sir Francis Drake? 

3. Who first settled in the United States? Describe the Florida 
colony. When did the Spaniards found St. Augustine? AVhat 
did Menendez do at Fort Carolina? How did he treat the ship- 
wrecked Frenchmen? ^Vhat did De Gourges do? When did Sir 
Humphrey Gilbert come to America? Where did Sir Walter 
Raleigh plant a colony? Tell how tobacco was first taken to 
Europe. What became of Raleigh's colony? "\^Tien and where 
was the first permanent French colony formed? When did Cham- 
plain found Quebec? What lake did he discover? Describe his 
battle with the Iroquois. How did the Iroquois revenge them- 
selves? What river did Henry Hudson discover? How did he act 
with the Indian chiefs? 

4. What kind of people were found in America? ^\1tio were 
the ]Mound-builders? What relics did they leave? "What were 
the Indians like? How did they live? How did they treat their 
prisoners? How did they fight? How did they live in their homes? 
How were they governed? "What was the character of their reli- 
gion? What did they use for money? What is said of their 
sagacity? Were the southern tribes more civilized than the north- 
ern? What did they worship? How did they receive the whites? 
How have the whites treated them? 



PART II. 

THE ENGLISH COLONIES. 



1. VIRGINIA. 

The English Companies. — In 1606 two companies 
were formed in England to make settlements in 
America. One of these, which was called the London 
Company, had a grant from the king of the southern 
part of the country, and the other, the Plymouth 
Company, was granted the northern part. At that 
time the whole country between the French settle- 
ments in the north and the Spanish settlements in the 
south was known as Virginia, being named after Queen 
EHzabeth, the Virgin Queen of England. Now, only a 
small portion of this broad region is called Virginia. 

The First Colonists. — Both companies sent out 
colonies in 1607. One of these, sent by the Plymouth 
Company, settled on the coast of Maine; but the 
colonists were not satisfied, and went back the next 
year. The other, sent by the London Compan}^, was 
told to land on Roanoke Island, where Raleigh's lost 
colony had been; but a storm drove the vessels into 
Chesapeake Bay. Here the colonists discovered a 
beautiful river, which they named the James, after 
the King of England. They landed at a point some 
distance up the river, and formed a settlement which 
they called Jamestown. 

The Jamestown Settlement. — The Jamestown colon}' 
was made up of people who did not like to work. Some 
3 33 



34 



THE ENGLISH COLONIES 



of the men thought they could cross the country to the 
Pacific Ocean. Others spent their time hunting for gold. 
They found a yellow substance which they thought was 
gold, and sent a ship-load of it to England. But it was 
nothing but iron pja-itcs, or "fool's gold," and of no 
value whatever; so the gold hunters, who had fancied 
themselves rich, soon found themselves poor again. 




The Landing at Jamestown. 
From an old print. 

Captain John Smith. — By good luck the colony had 
with it a man who was worth more to it than a mine 
of gold. This was Captain John Smith, a celebrated 
soldier, who had been in wars in Europe, and had gone 
through many strange adventures. Captain Smith 
was a very active man. He himself went to work and 
kept the colonists at work with him cutting down trees 
and building houses. Those who would not work were 
given nothing to eat. Some of them swore very much, 
but he soon cured them of this. When night came he 



VIRGINIA 



35 



brought up the swearers and had a can of cold water 
poured down their sleeves for every time they had 
sworn during the day. We may imagine that laziness 
and swearing were quickly broken up in that colony. 

Captain Smith spent much of his time in exploring 
the bay and the country. On one of these journeys he 
was taken prisoner by the Indians, who killed his 
companions. They were about to kill him, too, but 
he diverted them by showing them a small compass 
which he had with him. The 
movements of the magnetic 
needle seemed to them the work 
of magic, so they let him live, and 
brought him before their great 
chief, Powhatan. He surprised 
them still more by writing a 
letter to his friends and receiv- 
ing an answer from them. The 
Indians could not understand how 
a piece of paper could talk. When 
they found that Smith's friends understood what was 
on it they thought the paper must have spoken to them. 

Pocahontas. — But Powhatan did not like the English, 
and he decided that his prisoner should be put to death. 
Captain Smith tells us that he was laid on the ground, 
with his head on a stone, and that a warrior had lifted 
a club to dash out his brains, when a young Indian 
girl named Pocahontas, the daughter of the chief, 
rushed in and begged her father not to kill him. So 
his life was spared. 

Pocahontas afterwards married an Englishman 
named Rolfe, and went with him to England. She 




John Smith. 



36 



THE ENGLISH COLONIES 




Pocahontas. 



did not live long after she reached there. Captain 
Smith had other adventures with the Indians and 
much trouble with the colonists. In 1609 he was badly 

hurt by the explosion of a 
bag of gunpowder, and went 
back to England. He never 
returned to Virginia. 

The Starving Time. — As 
soon as Captain Smith left 
the colony everything went 
wrong. Nobody would work; 
they ate up all their provi- 
sions; and the Indians, who 
were made angry by their 
acts, would not bring them 
any food. A terrible time fol- 
lowed. The foolish people soon found themselves 
starving. There were nearly five hundred of them 
when Smith left, but in six months only sixty were 
alive. In a very brief time not a soul of them would 
have been living if a vessel had not come with 
provisions. This period was long known as "the 
starving time." 

A new governor. Lord Delaware, came out in this 
vessel. He was soon followed by Governor Dale, a 
stern old soldier, but a man of good sense. So far no 
one had been given a farm of his own, but all had to 
work for the whole community. The new governor 
divided the land up into farms and distributed these 
among the people, and when the colonists found they 
could work for themselves and own the proceeds of their 
own labors, they soon became more industrious. 



• VIRGINIA 37 

Tobacco Culture. — In 1612 the colonists began to 
raise tobacco. Much of the soil was given to this new 
crop, and so little corn was raised that for a time there 
was danger again of want of food. In 1619 a Dutch 
ship came up the James with twenty negroes on board. 
These were sold to the colonists, and were the first 
slaves brought to America. 

Wives !or the Settlers. — The negroes were not the 
only human beings that were sold to the colonists. 
Until this time the colony had consisted only of men; 
but now, young women were sent over from England and 
those who wanted wives paid for them. The price for 
a wife was one hundred and twenty pounds of tobacco. 
Sixty more women were sent afterwards, and the price 
rose to one hundred and fifty pounds of tobacco. 

The Indian Massacre. — Two years afterwards, in 
1622, when much of the country around Jamestown 
had been settled, the Indians, who feared that all their 
land would be taken from them, formed a plan to kill 
all the white people in the colony. They pretended to 
be very friendly, and brought deer and fish and other 
things to sell. But suddenly they drew out their 
weapons and began to kill the settlers. Men, women, 
and children were cut to pieces, and in one morning 
three hundred and forty-nine persons were slain. 

Jamestown was warned in time, and was saved, but 
very few of the whites were left alive in the outer 
settlements. A fierce war followed. The Indians were 
shot down wherever they were seen. At one time the 
English offered peace to them, and then 'rushed on 
them when they were at work in their corn-fields, and 
killed a great many of them. 



38 THE ENGLISH COLONIES 

Another Indian massacre took place in 1644, after 
which the red men were driven far back into the 
countr}', and did not give any trouble for many years. 

Bacon's Rebellion. — During these years, and for a 
long time afterwards, the people of Virginia had trouble 
with their governors. They were not permitted to 
manage their own affairs, and much bitter feehng 
arose. One governor, named Berkeley, was such a 
tyrant that the people would no longer submit to him. 

In 1676 the Indians were again at war with the 
whites, and a young man named Nathaniel Bacon 
raised a company and drove them away. The gov- 
ernor said that Bacon was a traitor, because he had 
raised his company without permission. This made 
the people so angry that they came to Bacon's help, 
and fighting took place. The governor was driven out 
of Jamestown, and the town itself was burned to the 
ground. Nothing of Jamestown now remains except 
the ruined walls of an old church. 

Soon after this Bacon died. Berkeley now got into 
power again and began to' revenge himself by hanging 
his enemies. More than twenty of the leaders of the 
people were hanged. When the king heard of this he 
was very much displeased; he ordered Berkeley to come 
home, and sent out governors of a different kind to the 
colony. The king said, " That old fool has hung more 
men in that naked country than I did for the murder of 
my father." He reproved Berkeley so severely that 
the old tyrant died of a broken heart. Other troubles 
arose, but for the next hundred years Virginia grew 
and prospered, and many of its people became rich 
and honored. 



THE PILGRIMS AND THE PURITANS 



39 



2. THE PILGRIMS AND THE PURITANS. 

The Pilgrims. — At the time that Captain John 

Smith was having his adventures with the Indians 

in Virginia, and Champlain was fighting with the 

Iroquois in New York, some English people had found 




TuK Dkpaktuke of the Pilgrims. 



that they could not live in peace at home. They 
thought that every man ought to have a right to 
read the Bible for himself and form his own opinion 
about it. But the government said that they must 
believe what the Church of England taught. As they 
could not do this, they were treated badly by the 
government; so they went to Holland and lived there 
for a number of years. 



40 THE ENGLISH COLONIES 

Then they made up their minds to cross the ocean 
and settle in America. They were afraid that if they 
stayed in Holland their children might forget their 
language and become in all things like the Dutch. 
One hundred and two of them set sail from England 
in a little vessel called the Mayflower. They proposed 
to land somewhere on the New Jersey coast, but storms 
made them seek shelter in the bay back of Cape Cod. 

The Landing of the Pilgnms. — It was then the month 
of December of the year 1620. The weather was cold 
and the ground was covered with snow, but the people 
were tired of the sea and they went ashore at a place 
which had been named Plymouth by Captain John 
Smith, who had explored that coast several years 
before. On reaching the shore they fell on their knees 
and thanked God for having brought them in safety to 
this new land. These people called themselves Pil- 
grims, because they had left their homes and crossed 
the ocean on account of their religion, like the old-time 
pilgrims to the Holy Land. 

The First Winter. — The Pilgrims were not idle, like 
the men of the Jamestown colony. They went to work 
at once to build a house to shelter them and their 
goods. And they formed a government of their own, 
in which every man was to have a vote and to be the 
equal of every other man. But they had great hard- 
ships to endure, and nearly half of them died before 
spring. 

The Plymouth Colony. — When the winter was gone 
the Pilgrims did not spend their time hunting for gold 
or wandering about the country. They kept on build- 
ing until they had a house for each family, and also 



THE PILGRIMS AND THE PURITANS 41 

began to till the soil. The Indians were friendly, and 
showed them how to plant corn. They had with them 
a military man named Captain Miles Standish, but he 
was a very different person from Captain John Smith. 
He was an old soldier who had joined the colonists to 
do their fighting for them, if any was necessary, — a 
little man, very short, but of a hot temper, — and it was 
not long before he began to make the Indians afraid of 
him. He was a bold and daring warrior, and the Pil- 
grims were glad to have a man like Captain Standish 
with them. 

The Plymouth colony was not like any of the others 
formed in America. The people had not been sent out 
by any company, and had no masters beyond the seas. 
They were free to serve God and to take care of them- 
selves in their own way. They elected a governor and 
other officers, and formed a little republic of their own. 
They suffered from the cold and from want of food, 
but the fishing was good and there were plenty of 
clams, so they managed to live. The land was soon 
divided into farms, and every man worked for himself, 
and before long enough corn was raised to give them 
all food. 

Canonicus. — The Indians at first were friendly, but 
some of them became uneasy when they saw that the 
white men intended to stay in their country. So 
Canonicus, the chief of the tribe of Narragansetts, 
sent them a bundle of arrows with a snake-skin tied 
around them. This meant that if the whites did not 
go away the Indians would make war upon them. 

The governor took the snake-skin and filled it with 
powder and bullets; then he sent it back to Canonicus. 



42 THE ENGLISH COLONIES 

The savages were scared when they saw what had been 
sent them, for they knew something of what the bullets 
could do. They were afraid to receive it, and it passed 
from hand to hand and finally came back to the gov- 
ernor at Plymouth. Thus there was no war at that 
time. In 1623 the Indians formed a conspiracy to 
murder the settlers; but Captain Standish discovered 
it and killed the ringleaders. After that the Indians 
kept quiet for years. 

The Massachusetts Bay Colony. — Plymouth was part 
of the country which the king had granted to the 
Plymouth Company, so that the Pilgrims came under 
the charter of this company. But they continued to 
govern themselves in their own way, and the company 
let them alone, for it was glad to have a settlement on 
its land. Other people came out from time to time. In 
1628 and 1629 a considerable number came from Eng- 
land and settled at a place on the shore of Massachu- 
setts Bay, which they called Salem. 

The next year eight hundred more came. There 
were now about a thousand persons in the colony of 
Massachusetts Bay. These were not all poor people, 
like those at Plymouth. Some of them were rich, 
and many of them were educated. As in the case 
of the Pilgrims, religious trouble had brought them 
over the ocean. They were called Puritans and had 
been badly treated because they wished to purify 
the Church of England, which they said had become 
corrupt. 

The Charter. — The king had given them a charter in 
which they were granted the right to govern them- 
selves. They did not leave this charter in England, 



THii PILGRIMS AND THE PURITANS 43 

for they did not wish to be ruled by a company in 
London, but they brought it across the ocean with 
them. This was a bold step. The reign of Uberty in 
America began with that charter. 

These colonists had much to endure. Many of them 
died. But there were no idle men among them, and 
they planted corn instead of seeking for gold, so that 
they were, soon comfortable. Settlements were made 
all around Massachusetts Bay — Boston, Roxbury, 
Charlestown, and other places — following Salem. The 
colony grew much faster than that of Plymouth. 

Representative Government. — As we have said, the 
government was at first in the hands of all the people. 
They came together in the churches and elected their 
officers, and decided any question that came before 
them. But in 1634 this was no longer easy to do. 
The people had increased till there were more than 
three thousand of them. These were settled at twenty 
different places along the sea-shore. They could not all 
come together to decide questions, and found it neces- 
sary to choose persons to act for them. These met 
together at Boston, where they made laws and elected 
officers. The first Assembly of this kind in America 
had been formed in Virginia in 1619, but it did not 
have the power of the Boston Assembly, which made 
all the laws of the colony. Jamestown had a governor 
sent out by the king, but the Puritans were under a 
governor elected by themselves, not one sent from 
England. 

Other Colonists. — The Puritans continued to come 
across the ocean, so that by 1640 there were about 
twenty thousand people in New England. These were 



44 THE ENGLISH COLONIES 

widely spread throughout the country. Some of them 
settled in Connecticut and there were settlements in 
New Hampshire and Maine. The Dutch built a fort on 
the bank of the Connecticut River, but they were 
driven away by the English. 

Roger Williams. — And now we have to tell of some 
very wrong doings of the Puritans. They had come to 
America because they were not allowed to worship God 
in peace at home; but they soon began to say that 
nobody should worship God in New England except in 
their way. One minister, named Roger Williams, 
declared that the magistrates had no right to tell a 
man what his religion should be. He said also that the 
white men had no claim to the land unless they paid 
the Indians for it. 

The Puritans thought that this was dangerous talk, 
and declared that no man should preach such doctrines 
in their churches. WilHams would not be silent, so 
they drove him out of the colony. He went into the 
forests, where the Indians took care of him. At 
length he reached Narragansett Bay, and crossed it in 
an Indian canoe to a place which he called Providence. 
The Indians loved the young exile, and Canonicus, 
their chief, gave him a large tract of land. 

Religious Liberty. — There were other persons besides 
Roger Williams who could not live in peace with the 
Puritans. Many of these followed him. In the settle- 
ment which they formed every one was allowed to 
hold such religious opinions as he pleased. It was one 
of the first places in the world in which there was full 
religious liberty and in which no man was persecuted 
for his opinions. 



THE PILGRIMS AND THE PURITANS 



45 



Rhode Island. — Some of the new settlers bought an 
island from the Indians, which was called Rhode 
Island. This afterwards became the name of the 
State. A charter was given to the colony, and its 
people slowly grew in numbers. They were so afraid of 
tyrants that when Roger Wilhams refused to be gov- 




RoGEK Williams Bringing the Charter to Providence. 

ernor the colony went without one for forty years. 
^Yilliams was very just and kind to the Indians, and 
they looked on him as their best friend. 

The Quakers. — But the Puritans soon did worse 
things than to drive Roger Williams into the wilder- 
ness. When it was known in England that there was 
a colony in America formed by people who wished 
to worship God in peace and freedom, others besides 
the Puritans made haste to come to this free land. 
Among these were a number of the Friends, or Quakers 



46 THE ENGLISH COLONIES 

as people called them, who had been verj^ harshly 
treated in England. 

Several of these came to Plymouth and Salem, but 
they soon found that they were no better off in Amer- 
ica than in England. They would not go to war, or 
pay taxes, or attend the Puritan churches, and they 
would not go away from the colony when they were 
ordered to do so. Some of them grew so excited as to 
be half crazy, and .would come into the meeting-house 
on Sundays, with clothes made of sackcloth, and with 
ashes on their heads, and would disturb the services. 
They did other things still more unpleasant. 

The Persecution. — As they would not leave the 
colony^ the Puritans began to treat them in a cruel 
manner. Some of them were whipped in the streets, 
and others were branded with hot irons. Four of them 
were hanged. And not only the excitable ones, but 
the quiet and well-behaved ones, were treated with 
great severity. The Puritans have been much blamed 
for this cruelty. They had left England because men 
would not let them act in religious matters as they 
pleased, and now they were not willing to let others 
worship in their own way. But they could not drive 
the Quakers out by severity, and they finally had to 
let them alone. 

The Salem Witchcraft. — It was not long before the 
Puritans began to persecute another set of people. In 
those days all ignorant persons and some learned ones 
believed in witches. It was thought that certain 
people had the power to bewitch and hurt others by a 
sort of magic. That was the belief all over Europe, 
and thousands of persons were put to death as witches. 



THE PILGRIMS AND THE PURITANS 47 

Some poor persons in Salem were accused of being 
witches, and a court was held to try them. Very 
strange things were said to have been done, and fifty 
of them were declared guilty. Twenty of these were 
hanged. The excitement spread and finally people of 
high standing were accused of witchcraft. This made 
the wiser citizens fear that there was something 
wrong in the public belief. When respectable per- 
sons were thus brought to trial, the judges said 
that such persons could not be witches, and set 
them free. The foolish notion died away as quickly 
as it had risen. Sensible people became very much 
ashamed of themselves for having beheved in such 
folly; and they could not easily forget that they 
had put to death innocent persons for a crazy delu- 
sion. The excitement had continued from 1688 to 
1693. 

Connecticut. — There were other colonies in New 
England than those spoken of. The beautiful and 
fertile valley of the Connecticut River attracted settlers, 
a party of whom came overland in 1635 and founded 
Hartford and other towns, while another party came 
by sea and founded Saybrook, at the river's mouth. 
In 1638 a large colony from England settled at New 
Haven, and soon added other towns, which combined 
to form what "was known as the New Haven colony. 
The Connecticut colony had its capital at Hartford, 
and in 1662 Charles II. granted it a very liberal 
charter, which made it almost an independent govern- 
ment. Towns were also founded in Maine and New 
Hampshire, but these were long under the control of 
Massachusetts. 



48 THE ENGLISH COLONIES 

Mode of Government. — All the New England colo- 
nies followed Massachusetts in their mode of govern- 
ment. The English kings had left the colonists to act 
as they pleased, and there was no one in England that 
had any right to interfere with them, so the people 
were as free as if they had had no connection with 
England. In the other colonies there were governors 
sent out by the king, the companies, or the proprietors; 
but the people of New England chose their own gov- 
ernors and made their own laws. 

A League of Colonies. — "We have already told what 
their government was like. But in 1643 a new step in 
political conditions was made. There were then five 
colonies — Plymouth, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, 
Connecticut, and New Haven — and all of these except 
Rhode Island joined themselves into a league, or con- 
federac}", each colony choosing men to represent it. 
This was something like the present government of the 
United States, the meeting of deputies from the col- 
onies being like a little Congress. New England had 
become like a free republic at that early date. 

The Charters Revoked. — But the people of New Eng- 
land were not left at ease after Charles II. became king. 
He did not wish them to have so much liberty, and he 
declared that the charter of Massachusetts no longer 
held good. 

Soon afterwards he died, but the next king, James 
II., was still more severe. He said that all the New 
England colonies were his, that he would make the 
laws and levy the taxes, and that the people should 
have no voice in the government. He sent out Sir 
Edmund Andros as royal governor, and demanded 
that all the charters should be given up. 



INDIAN WARS OF NEW ENGLAND 49 

The Lost Charter. — But the new governor did not 
succeed very well in this purpose. When he came to 
Hartford the Assembly met to decide whether they 
should obey his order and give up their charter. This 
important paper was laid on the table. It was even- 
ing and candles were lighted. Suddenly the candles 
all went out and the room was left in darkness. When 
they w^ere relighted the charter was gone. It is said 
that one of the members flung his cloak over the 
candles and in the darkness carried off the charter, 
which he hid in a hollow tree. This tree was long 
known as the Charter Oak. 

A Change of Kings. — While the governor was in 
Boston news reached there that the people of England 
had risen against the king and driven him from the 
throne. So the governor was imprisoned, the charter 
was brought out again, and the people took the gov- 
ernment once more into their own hands. But it 
was not long before the new king sent them a new 
governor, and they lost much of their old freedom. 

3. INDIAN WARS OF NEW ENGLAND. 

English and Indians. — In time the settlers of New 
England began to have trouble with the Indians. 
Shortly after the Pilgrims landed a chi.ef had come to 
them, with the words, "Welcome, Englishmen." He 
had learned these words from some of those people who 
had crossed the ocean in search of fish. But before 
long this friendly feeling passed away. The English 
did not treat the Indians well. Captain Standish was 
very stern and severe with them, and killed several of 
them. The settlers went farther and farther into 
4 



50 



THE ENGLISH COLONIES 



the land, and new ones came over the ocean in such 
numbers that the red men began to fear that all their 
country would be taken from them. 

The Pequot War. — Yet it was not in Massachusetts, 
but in Connecticut, in 1G37, that the first fighting took 
place. Here there was a fierce and warlike tribe called 
the Pecjuots, who became very angry on seeing the 




The Battle with the Pequots. 



white men settling on their lands. They began to kill 
the whites whenever they found them alone. The 
English killed some of them in return, and then a 
deadly war began. No white man could leave the 
fort without danger of being murdered by the savages. 
The settlers soon decided to put an end to this. 
So they got together a party of soldiers and sent them 
against the Pequot fort. There were ninety white men 
and several hundred friendly Indians, led by Captain 



INDIAN WARS OF NEW ENGLAND 51 

John Mason. The Indian fort was near where the 
town of Stonington is now built. It was made of 
trunks of trees, about twelve feet high, set close 
together in the ground. The Indian allies were left 
outside while the English forced their way into the 
fort and set fire to the wigwams of the Pequots. Then 
the fight be.fi^an in the smoke and flame, and nearly all 
the Pequctc were killed, while only two white men 
were slain. 

There were some Pequots outside the fort, but these 
were sought for and the most of them killed. This bat- 
tle so frightened the Indians that there was very little 
trouble with them in New England for nearly forty 
years afterwards. 

King Philip's War. — The next war with the Indians 
began in 1675. The tribe of the Wampanoags had 
always been friendly with the whites; but the old 
sachem died and his son, named Philip, became sachem. 
He hated the whites, and got some of the other tribes 
to join him in a war against them. One of these tribes 
was the Narragansett, of Rhode Island, which until 
now had been kept friendly by Roger Wilhams. 

The war that followed was a terrible one. The 
Indians were no longer afraid to touch powder and 
bullets. They had thrown aside the bow and arrow 
and taken the musket for their weapon, and they now 
attacked the settlements in all directions. They drove 
ofT the cattle, destroyed the crops, and burned the 
houses, and many of the white people were murdered. 
Several towns were taken by the Indians and burned, 
and the whole country was thrown into a state of 
terror. 



52 THE ENGLISH COLONIES 

Defeat of the Narragansetts. — But the killing of a 
few hundred persons could not drive the white people 
from the country, for by this time there were about 
sixty thousand of them in New England. They made 
up their minds to punish the Indians and put an end 
to the war. So a force of fifteen hundred men was 
sent against the Narragansetts, who had a strong fort 
in the centre of a great swamp. They thought they 
were safe there; but the soldiers got into their fort, 
killed a thousand of them, and forced the others to 
flee for their lives. This was in the winter, and many 
more of the savages died from cold and hunger, as 
they had no place of shelter and very little to eat. 

Death of Philip. — This dreadful affair broke the 
power of the Indians; but parties of them wandered 
about the settlements, and killed men, women, and 
children wherever they could. The people grew furi- 
ous at this, and hunted the savages like wild beasts. 
Philip and his followers were chased from place to 
place. In August, 1676, they went to Mount Hope, 
Rhode Island, and here they were surprised by a 
party of soldiers and of Indians who had joined the 
whites. Philip started up to flee for his life, but he 
was shot by an Indian and fell dead. 

This ended the war. All danger from the Indians 
was at an end, except in Maine and New Hampshire, 
where the settlements were weak. The whites had 
suffered terribly. About six hundred of them had been 
murdered. Twelve or thirteen towns, wuth about six 
hundred houses, had been burned. But the tribes 
were broken up, and many of the Indians were sent 
to the West Indies to be sold as slaves. 



INDIAN WARS OF NEW ENGLAND 53 

The First French and Indian Wars. — The next troubles 
in New England were stirred up by the French, who 
began a war in Europe with the English in 1689, 
and another in 1702. The French and Enghsh in 
America were not satisfied to let all the fighting be done 
on the other side of the ocean, but thought that they 
must do what they could to kill one another, though 
the war did not concern them in any way. Many of 
the northern Indians took the side of the French, and 
came down from Canada to attack the English settle- 
ments. Farm-houses and villages were burned, and 
hundreds of the people were killed or carried off as 
prisoners. The whole country was kept in a state of 
terror for years. 

Mrs. Dustin's Escape. — We must tell the story of 
one of these prisoners. This was a brave woman named 
Mrs. Dustin, who was carried off from the town of 
Haverhill, in Massachusetts, with her baby, her nurse, 
and a young boy. The Indians soon killed the baby, 
but they took the others for many miles through the 
forest. Mrs. Dustin found out that the Indians were 
going to torture and kill them at the end of their 
journey, so she resolved to try to escape. They were 
now on an island in the Merrimac River, and that 
night the Indians lay down to sleep, not dreaming 
that they were in any danger from their prisoners. 

There were twelve of these Indians, and they had no 
fear of two women and a boy. But Mrs. Dustin told 
her companions what she wanted them to do, and 
while the savages lay asleep the three prisoners took 
possession of their tomahawks and began kiUing them. 
They worked so quickly that ten of the Indians were 



54 THE ENGLISH COLONIES 

killed. The other two, a woman and a boy, ran foi 
their lives into the forest. The brave woman took 
their canoe and floated down the river till she got 
safely to her home again. There is a statue of Mrs. 
Dustin now in Haverhill, and a monument on the Mer- 
rimac River at the point where the Indians were slain. 

The People of Deerfield. — There were many more 
horrible events in these wars. Some large villages, 
such as Schenectady in New York, and Deerfield in 
Massachusetts,, were taken and burned, and the people 
murdered or carried off as prisoners. It was a terribly 
cold winter, yet many of the people of Deerfield were 
made to walk through the woods to Canada with very 
little clothing and scarcely anything to eat. There they 
were sold to the French as slaves. 

Pioneer Life. — The pioneers of America, as may be 
seen, led a life of great danger and terror, very differ- 
ent from anything that is known here to-day. The 
men worked in the fields with their rifles by their 
sides, and each house was built like a strong fort, for 
no one knew at what moment the savages might burst 
with a yell from the woods and fall on them with mus- 
ket and tomahawk. These were times such as can never 
come again in this peaceful country. 

4. MANNERS AND CUSTOMS OF THE PURITANS. 

To tell what laws a people made, what wars they 
fought, and what things they did is not to tell their 
whole story. To tell how they lived, what their 
houses and churches were like, what work they per- 
formed, and how they enjoyed themselves is quite 
as important and interesting. So it is our purpose 



MANNERS AND CUSTOMS OF THE PURITANS 55 

now to say something about the manners and cus- 
toms of the people of New England. 

Puritan Houses. — In the early period of this country 
there were none of the great and beautiful buildings 
we see to-day. Most of the houses were log huts, only 
one story high, with very steep roofs which were cov- 
ered with thatch. But there were a few houses made 
of wood and brick and some of stone, two stories high. 
As time went on the houses became larger, but the 
largest of them would seem small to us. 

In these houses were large fireplaces, built of stone, 
in some of which logs four feet long could be burned. 
The chimneys at first were made of boards, or of sticks 
smeared with clay. There was ver}^ little glass for the 
windows, and oiled paper was much used instead. 
When glass was used it was made in small and thick 
diamond-shaped panes, which were set in frames of 
lead. Furniture was not plentiful, and was very rude 
in shape and finish, with none of the beauty and art of 
modern furniture. There were few clocks, and most 
people had to tell the time from the sun. For this pur- 
pose the houses were built so as to face exactly south. 
When the sun shone squarely into the rooms the people 
knew that it was noon and time for dinner. 

Dress. — -The Puritans dressed very differently from 
what we do now. The men wore knee-breeches and 
short cloaks, with ruffs about their necks, and steeple- 
crowned hats; the wealthy ones had rich belts, gold 
and silver buttons, and high boots rolled over at the 
top for great occasions. The women wore dresses of 
plain homespun during the week, and silk hoods, lace 
neckerchiefs, and other finery on Sunday. 



56 THE ENGLISH COLONIES 

But the law required that everybody should dress 
to suit his or her station in life. Workingmen wore 
breeches of leather or coarse goods, and red or green 
baize jackets, with somewhat finer clothes for Sunday; 
while the gentleman wore his robe of silk or velvet, with 
lace ruffles at his wrists and gold lace on his cloak. 
A gold-headed cane and a gold or silver snufT-box were 
thought necessary to a gentleman. But those who 
wore fine clothes could be punished unless they could 
prove that they were rich enough to afford them. 

Titles and Luxuries. — The titles of Mr. and Mrs. 
were not so common as they are to-day. They were 
used only for clergymen and magistrates, and for 
people of very high position. Everybody else, except 
a servant, was called Good-man, or Good-wife. Much 
respect was shown to persons of education. 

As the colonies grew richer great display was made 
by wealthy people. Fine houses were built, elegant 
furniture and clothing were imported, and there was 
much show among people of wealth. 

Food and Amusements.— Food was by no means to 
be had in as great variety as it is now. There was no 
way to bring fruits from other parts of the world, 
and no. one knew how to preserve vegetables and 
meats for the winter in the way that this is now done. 
Corn meal and milk, or pork and beans, were common 
food, while bread was generally made of rye and 
Indian meal. Tea and coffee were not used, but much 
beer and cider were drunk. Amusements were very 
simple. No one was allowed to dance, or to play 
cards, and there was not much music, while such a 
thing as a theatre was unknown. 



MANNERS AND CUSTOMS OF THE PURITANS 57 



Laws and Penalties. — The laws were very severe. 
There were whipping-posts, where men. and women 
were often whipped in public for doing things which 
are now not considered crimes. There were also stocks, 
or wooden frames which could be locked around the neck 
or the ankles, in which offend- 
ers were fastened alnd left to the 
scorn of the public. A woman 
who was a common scold might 
be punished by being ducked in a 
stream or pond, or by having a 
split stick fastened on her tongue 
or a gag put into her mouth. In 
some cases the offender was 
made to stand on a stool in the 
church with the name of his 
offence written on a paper which 
was pinned on his breast. 

Town Meetings. — The people, 
as we have already said, made 
their own laws. To do this they 
came together in town meetings 
and talked over public affairs, 
taken, corn and beans were used to vote with. A 
grain of corn meant a vote in favor of the measure; 
a bean was a vote against it. The town meetings were 
intended only to discuss local affairs; those of the whole 
colony were settled by the governor and the Assembly. 

Church=Qoing. — In religious matters the Puritans 
were very strict. Everybody was expected to attend 
church, and those who failed to do so were punished. 
On Sunday morning the sound of a drum, or perhaps 




Stocks, Whipping-Post, and 
Pillory. 

If a vote had to be 



58 



THE ENGLISH COLONIES 



the blowing of a horn or ringing of a bell, would call 
the people to worship. The meeting-house was like 
a small fort, as it had a fence of strong stakes driven 
into the ground around it. Often a cannon or two 
would be placed near the church, or perhaps on its 
roof, while the men walked to church with their guns 
over their shoulders, and kept them within easy reach 
during the service. 




Puritans Going to Church. 

Fear of the Indians. — It was fear of the Indians that 
made the people so cautious. No one knew at what 
moment the dreadful war-whoop might sound, and a 
troop of blood-thirsty savages rush into the town. In 
such a case the meeting-house could be turned at once 
into a fort, where the men might fight for the lives of 
themselves and their families. 



MANNERS AND CUSTOMS OF THE PURITANS 59 

Within the Church. — The worshipers did not sit 
together as now, but the old people occupied one part 
of the church, the young men another, and the young 
women a third. The boys sat on the steps of the 
pulpit and in the gallery. No one was allowed to go 
to sleep in those old Puritan churches. The constable 
was always on hand to keep them awake. He carried 
a staff that had the foot of a hare on one end and a 
hare's tail on the other. If a woman went to sleep, 
the hare's tail was brushed gently over her face; but 
if a boy was caught nodding, the hare's foot came down 
on his pate with a sharp rap. Yet it must have been 
hard to keep awake, for the sermons were sometimes 
three or four hours long, and no doubt often very dry 
and tiresome. 

Industries. — The people of New England lived on 
what they could raise from the soil. But there were 
some things manufactured, such as hats, paper, shoes, 
furniture, and farming tools. Most people dressed in 
homespun goods, and the spinning-wheel was kept 
busy in the houses. Money was scarce, and for a while 
bullets were used for farthings. The wampum of the 
Indians and beaver skins and corn were also used for 
money; but the colonists began to make silver coins 
in 1652. 

Vessels. — Many vessels were built. The first of 
those built in Massachusetts was called The Blessing 
of the Bay. In time the New England people had a 
largo trade along the coast, and sent vessels for whales 
into the icy seas of the north. 

Military Customs. — Every man and boy past the age 
of sixteen had to act as a soldier, and they were obliged 



60 THE ENGLISH COLONIES 

to meet together and go through mihtary exercises at 
certain periods. The danger from the Indians was so 
great that this was necessary, and in the frontier 
settlements no farmer went into his field, or travelled 
along the road, without his musket. The houses were 
built like forts. 

Some of the soldiers carried long pikes. Others 
carried guns called matchlocks. These guns were fired 
with a slow-match, or a piece of substance that burns 
very slowly. It was long before they began to use 
flint and steel to make a spark and set fire to the 
powder in the gun, and still later before the gun-caps 
which are now used were invented. Each soldier car- 
ried a rest, or iron fork, which he stuck into the ground 
to rest the end of his heavy musket on while he took 
aim. Swords were carried by the officers, and some 
of the soldiers wore iron helmets and breast-plates. 
Others wore coats quilted with cotton wool, through 
which an Indian arrow could not pass. 

Modes of Travel. — The usual mode of travel was on 
foot or horseback, but many went in vessels along the 
coast. That is the way Benjamin Franklin came from 
Boston to New York, as he tells us in his own story 
of his life. From New York to Philadelphia he came 
part of the way by land and part by boat on the Dela- 
ware River, and found it a long and difficult journey. 
Now one may make the same journey in two hours in a 
parlor car. 

5. NEW YORK. 

The Purposes of the Colonists. — The people who came 
to America did so for various purposes. The Spanish 
came in search of gold and silver. The French of 



NEW YORK 61 

Canada wished to trade for furs with the Indians. 
The Enghsh of Virginia at first sought for gold, and 
soon after began to cultivate tobacco and send it to 
England. The Puritans were the first who began to 
till the soil as a business, and who had no other objects 
in view. They werQ the first, also, who made the New 
World truly their home, and took care of themselves 
without any help from Europe. 

The Dutch. — Other people than the French came to 
America to trade with the Indians. After Henry 
Hudson got back to Europe and told of the great river 
he had sailed up in the Half Moon, the Dutch claimed 
all the territory he had visited, and called it ''New 
Netherlands." 

The First Settlement. — A Dutch sailor named Adrian 
Block came there in 1614, and loaded his ship with 
bear skins. But when he was just ready to set sail for 
home his ship, which was called the Tiger, was found 
to be on fire. It could not be saved, so the sailors had 
to hurry ashore and leave their vessel to the flames. 
They built themselves log huts, and spent the winter 
on Manhattan Island, where the great city of New 
York now stands. They called the place New Amster- 
dam. In the spring they built a vessel called the 
Onrust (which means Unrest), and sailed back to 
Holland. 

The Land Purchased. — After this the Dutch contin- 
ued to come, and they formed trading posts at differ- 
ent places along the Hudson River. They were the 
first settlers who acted as if they beheved that the 
Indians had a right to the lands they hved on, and who 
were willing to pay for them. But they did not pay a 



62 THE ENGLISH COLONIES 

very high price. They bought the whole of Manhat- 
tan Island for goods worth about twenty-four dollars. 
Other tracts of land were bought, and they kept up 
a thriving trade with the Indians for the skins of bears, 
beavers, and other animals. For these they were will- 
ing to sell the Indians guns, and powder and shot, 
and in this way the natives came to possess these new 
weapons. 

The Claim to Connecticut. — The Dutch were not 
content with Manhattan Island, but claimed that they 
owned the whole coast as far north as Cape Cod, and 
sent a vessel to the Connecticut River, on the banks 
of which a fort was built. They were not there long 
before an English vessel from Plymouth sailed up the 
stream. The Dutch threatened to fire on them if they 
went farther up, but the Plymouth men were not 
easily frightened and sailed past the fort in spite of 
its guns. They stopped at a place near the river 
which they called Windsor, and built a house to 
trade with the Indians. This took place in 1633, 
and soon afterwards other settlements were made on 
the river and along the coast. The Dutch talked of 
driving them out, but the English were soon too 
strong to be safely attacked and Connecticut was lost 
to the Dutch. 

The Delaware. — Another Dutch vessel, under Cap- 
tain Mey, sailed into Delaware Bay and River. There 
was fine country on both sides, and he declared that 
all this land should belong to Holland. A fort was 
built on the Delaware River, but it was soon allowed 
to go to ruin, and the Dutch acted as if they did not 
care for the country. 



NEW YORK 63 

The Swedes. — About twenty years afterwards a 
colony came from Sweden, led by Peter Minuit, a 
former Dutch governor of New York, but now in the 
service of Sweden, and settled on the banks of Dela- 
ware Bay and River. This made the Dutch suddenly 
decide that they wanted the country very badly. 
They said that the Swedes had settled on land belong- 
ing to them, and sent ships and soldiers who attacked 
them and took possession of their forts. The Swedes 
were not driven away, but they had to accept the 
Dutch as their masters. 

Dutch Settlements. — The Dutch were soon at war 
with the Indians, but their colony grew in size and 
they formed many settlements along the Hudson 
River. Yet the people of the colony were not satisfied, 
for some of their governors acted like tyrants, and they 
thought they ought to have the same right to govern 
themselves as the people of New England had. 

The Duke of York.— In 1664 the Duke of York, 
King Charles's brother, sent three armed ships from 
England, and Stuyvesant, the Dutch governor, was 
ordered to give up the country. This act was based 
on the voyages of the Cabots, which the English 
claimed gave them the right to all this country. Stuy- 
vesant wanted to fight, but the people would not help 
him. They did not like the way he had treated them, 
and thought they would be better off under the Eng- 
lish. So the island was given up to the English, and 
the name of the town changed to New York. This 
was the beginning of the great city of that name. 

Leisler's Revolt. — There is not much more to tell 
about the colony of New York. The people did not 



64 THE ENGLISH COLONIES 

find the English rule any easier than the Dutch. The 
governors sent out by the Duke of York were very 
severe. In the end the people rose against one of these 
governors and drove him away, and chose a merchant 
named Jacob Leisler to take his place. But a new 
governor was sent over from England, who arrested 
Leisler for treason. This governor, who was named 
Sloughter, did not want to do anything more to 
Leisler, who had not been much to blame; but he had 
the fault of drinking, and some of Leisler's enemies 
got him to sign a death-warrant while he was drunk. 
They took care to hang Leisler before the governor 
got sober again. There was never any stronger proof 
than this of the folly and wickedness of intemperance. 

Captain Kidd. — Other governors came who were no 
better than Sloughter. One of them was said to be a 
partner of the pirates, of whom there were many on 
the coast. A vessel was sent against them, commanded 
by a mariner named Captain Kidd; but he ran away 
with the vessel and turned pirate himself. He was 
afterwards taken and hanged. 

How the Negroes wcro Treated. — At this period there 
were many negro slaves in New York. In time one- 
fifth of all the inhabitants were slaves. The people 
grew afraid of them, and passed severe laws to keep 
them in subjection. At length, in 1741, the story was 
started that the negroes had formed a plot to murder 
their masters. This caused great fear among the New 
Yorkers, and many of the negroes were arrested. 
Some of these were hanged, others were burned at the 
stake, and others transported. Some white men were 
hanged also. 



LIFE IN NEW YORK 



65 



It is very doubtful if there was any real plot. The 
people were so frightened that they hardly knew what 
they were doing, and there is no doubt that many 
innocent persons were put to death. Fear makes men 
do many cruel and unjust things. 

6. LIFE IN NEW YORK. 

Dutch Houses. — The Dutch settlers of New York 
had modes of life very different from those of New 




England and the South. 
They built houses Hke those 
of Holland. These were of 
wood, or of small black and 
yellow bricks, and had their 
gable ends facing the street. 
There were weather-cocks on the roofs, and the houses 
had many doors and windows, with great brass knock- 
ers on the front doors. They were kept very clean, 
as houses were in Holland. 

5 



DOTCH IXTEKIOB. 



66 THE ENGLISH COLONIES 

The women spent much time in sweeping and scrub- 
bing. They had no carpets, but they covered the floors 
with white sand, wliich was made into hues and pat- 
terns with the broom. They had great open fire- 
places, with tiles of different colors and figures. The 
furniture was plain and solid, and there was much old 
silver and china in the cupboards. Every house had 
its spinning-wheel and a great chest full of linen which 
the women had woven. 

Modes of Life. — The Dutch did not work very hard. 
They took life easy, and spent much of their time 
sitting on the porches with long pipes in their mouths. 
They liked good eating and drinking, and enjoyed 
telling stories and playing at various games. Many 
things and habits we now have came from the Dutch. 
Our "Santa Claus" came from them, and also the 
custom of New Year visits, and of colored eggs at 
Easter. The Dutch cooks of New Amsterdam vvere the 
first in this country to make doughnuts and crullers. 
The people were not very fond of church-going, but 
they had great respect for their ministers, or "domi- 
nies, " as they called them. When money was scarce 
they paid the dominies in beaver skins or wampum. 

The Dutch Dress. — The Hollanders had their own 
ideas about dress. The men wore several pairs of knee- 
breeches, one over the other, which made them look 
very baggy. They wore large buckles at the knees 
and on the shoes, while their coats had great buttons 
of brass or silver. The women wore a great many 
short and bright-colored petticoats, with stockings of 
various colors and high-heeled shoes. On their heads 
they wore white muslin caps. 



MARYLAND 67 

Industries. — There were people of several different 
nations in New York, but Dutch was the ordinary lan- 
guage, even long after the country had been taken by 
the English. Most of the people were engaged in trading 
with the Indians for furs, which they sent to Europe, 
along with timber, tar, tobacco, and other things. They 
built their own vessels, and gave them such queer 
names as King Solomon and The Angel Gabriel. 

The Patroons. — The country was settled in a way 
unlike that of any other colony. Rich persons came 
from Holland, where they had bought the right to 
take up in America tracts of land running sixteen 
miles along a stream and as far back into the country 
as they pleased. They were told that they must pay 
the Indians for the land, and bring out a colony of 
fifty persons within four years. 

These great land-owners were called "Patroons." 
They owned all the best land, and the farmers were 
only tenants. Thus New York was very different from 
New England, which was divided into small farms 
owned by the farmers. The patroon system was not 
changed by the English, and many of these great 
estates continued until recent times. The rents were 
low, but about 1844 most of the tenants refused to 
pay rent any longer. After some trouble, nearly all 
the farmers bought their lands, and the great estates 
of the patroons were broken up. 

7. MARYLAND. 

Lord Baltimore. — The Catholics of England were 
treated more harshly than the Puritans, and when they 
saw how well the Puritans got along in America, they 



68 THE ENGLISH COLONIES 

thought that if they should cross the ocean they might 
be able to live like them in peace and comfort. So a 
Catholic nobleman, named Lord Baltimore, got King 
Charles I. to give him a charter for a colon}'. The land 
he chose was on Chesapeake Bay, where a settlement 
was made in 1634 at a place called St. Mary's. The 
country was named Maryland, after the wife of the 
king, whose name was Henrietta Maria. 

The charter which the king gave to Lord Baltimore 
was a very liberal one. He was permitted to govern 
the country in his own way, without any interference 
from England, and the king promised not to tax the 
colony if the governor would send him one-fifth of 
any gold or silver he might find and two Indian arrows 
every year as a sort of tribute. 

Religious Liberty. — Lord Baltimore was a wise and 
just man, and he declared that no one should suffer in 
his colony on account of religion. Most of the first 
settlers were Roman Catholics, but he said that all 
Christian people should have the same rights in Mary- 
land as the Catholics. So for a time there were no 
rehgious disputes in that colony, though it was not 
long before other troubles began. 

Clayborne's Rebellion. — Many persons came from 
Virginia and settled in Maryland and Puritans also 
came from New England, but none of these got along 
well with the Catholics. A Virginian named Clayborne 
had been there before Lord Baltimore, and claimed to 
own a part of the country. Disputes began, and 
before many years there was war in the colony. Clay- 
borne was at the head of the rebellious forces and in 
the end he drove out the governor and took possession 



MARYLAND 69 

of the country. But the fighting began once more, 
and he was defeated and had to flee for his hfe. Thus 
Lord Baltimore got possession of his colony again. 

Religious Troubles. — But other Protestants kept 
coming into the country, who were not willing to live 
in peace with the Catholics, even under their fair laws. 
Quarrels arose, and when the Protestants became strong 
enough they passed a law that no Catholic should have 
a vote. In this way religious freedom came to an end 
in Maryland. 

A Royal Governor. — In 1691 King William of Eng- 
land, a strong Protestant, took the province away 
from Lord Baltimore and placed it under a royal 
governor. He declared that the Church of England 
should be the church of the colony, and the people 
were no longer allowed to worship in their own way. 
For twenty years this state of affairs continued. 
Then George I., a new king, restored the colony to a 
descendant of Lord Baltimore, who was a Protestant. 
After that time no one was persecuted in Maryland 
on account of his religion. 

Life in Maryland. — Most of the people of Maryland 
lived on plantations and raised tobacco as was done in 
Virginia. They paid for everything they wanted with 
this plant, which served them instead of money. 
Lord Baltimore had bought land from the Indians, and 
the people had very little trouble with them. After 
the religious disputes were settled, Maryland became 
a happy and prosperous colony, and affairs went on 
well there for many years. 



70 



THE ENGLISH COLONIES 



8. PENNSYLVANIA. 

Religious Persecution. — "We have seen that religious 
persecution made man}' of the people of Europe come 
to America. It was this that brought the French 
Protestants to Florida, the Puritans to New England, 
and the Catholics to Maryland. The same cause sent 
another colony over the ocean. In those days each of 
the great nations of Europe had one religion which it 
said was the only true one, and they declared that 
any person who had a different belief was a bad man, 
and should be punished. 

The Quakers. — There were many of these "heretics," 
as they called them, in England. One sect of them 
called themselves Friends, but their enemies named 
them Quakers. They did not believe in war, nor in 
fine clothes, nor that one man is better than another. 
They would not take off their hats before a king. They 

had no fine churches and no 
paid ministers, and their ideas 
were so different from those of 
the Church of England that 
the government tried to m%ke 
them change their belief, and in 
so doing treated them cruelly. 
We have tokl already how badly 
the Puritans treated them. 

William Penn. — Among the 
Quakers was one rich and edu- 
cated man, named William" Penn. His father had 
been an admiral in the English navy, and when he 
died Charles 11. owed him a large sum of money. 




PENNSYLVANIA 71 

William Penn had been in prison for being a Quaker, 
and he thought that he would hke to make a home for 
himself and his friends where they could live in peace. 
So he asked King Charles to give him some land in 
America to pay the debt owed to his father. 

The king was glad to do this, for he had more land 
than money. He told Penn that he might have the 
land on the west of the Delaware River. This had 
belonged first to the Indians, then to the Swedes, and 
afterwards to the Dutch, but when the English took 
New Amsterdam from the Dutch they took this also. 
It was covered with forests, and Penn wished to call it 
Sylvania, from the Latin word Sylva, which means 
forest. But the king said it should be called Penn- 
sylvania, or Penn's forest-land. 

Philadelphia. — William Penn came to America in the 
year 1682, in the good ship Welcome. There were 
Swedes and Dutch in his new province before him, as 
we know, and also some English, whom he had sent 
out the year before. Several of the Swedes lived 
where the great city of Philadelphia now stands; but 
Penn bought the ground from them, and laid out a 
city which he called Philadelphia, or "brotherly love." 

Penn's Treaty with the Indians. — He soon asked the 
Indians to meet him and have a friendly talk. We 
are told that many of the chiefs came, and they met 
together under a great elm-tree, on the banks of the 
Delaware. The white men had no guns, as the peo- 
ple elsewhere had, and they gave presents to the 
Indians and promised to buy the land from them, 
instead of cheating and shooting them as had been done 
in other places. The Indians were glad to hear this, 



72 



THE ENGLISH COLONIES 



and said that they would live "in love with the children 
of William Penn while the sun and moon shall shine." 
This promise was kept for many years. The Quakers 
were a peaceful and just people, who never did any 
harm to the savages, and the Indians always looked 
on them as their friends. All the troubles with the 
red men in Pennsylvania came from other people. 

The Laws. — William Penn 
stayed onl}" two years in 
America, and then went 
back to England, where he 
remained for many years. 
Instead of trying to govern 
the people, he called them 
together and let them make 
their own laws, and the 
colony at once became free 
and happy. Every man 
who paid a tax was given 
the right to vote, no mat- 
ter what religious belief he 
held, and the people con- 
tinued to choose their own 
officers and make their own 
laws. Nearly the only power which Wilham Penn kept 
was that of appointing the governor. 

The Population. — People came over very fast to the 
Quaker settlement. Some of those who came first 
lived in holes dug in the river bank; but houses were 
soon built, and in two years Philadelphia had three 
hundred houses and twenty-five hundred inhabitants. 
Penn did not come back until 1699, at which time there 




Penn Theatv Monument. 



PENNSYLVANIA 73 

were seven hundred houses. The city was very pros- 
perous, but Penn did not get much monej^ from his 
colony. The people forgot how much they owed to 
him, and let him die poor after all he had done to make 
them rich and happy. 

Delaware. — And now we must say something about 
the provinces of Delaware and New Jersey. One of 
the early governors of Virginia, named Lord de la 
Ware, had made a voyage along the coast, and entered 
a beautiful river, which was called Delaware after his 
name. Then the Swedes and the Dutch came, and 
afterwards the English, and the country which is 
now called Delaware was for a time part of Penn- 
sylvania. In 1703 it was made a separate colony, 
under its present name. 

New Jersey. — The Dutch were the first to settle in 
New Jersey. But when the Duke of York robbed the 
Dutch of their settlements, he gave this province to 
two English noblemen, who named it after the island 
of Jersey, in the English Channel. 

Among the people who came there were some Quak- 
ers, and William Penn soon bought part of the land 
and invited others to come. Afterwards the rest of the 
province was bought by the Quakers, and it was 
thrown open to the persecuted people of all religions. 

In 1702 a royal governor was appointed who ruled 
over New York and New Jersey, and it was not till 
1738 that New^ Jersey got a governor of its own. But 
the lands settled by the Quakers long continued 
among the most peaceful, freest, and happiest of all 
the settlements in America. 



74 



THE ENGLISH COLONIES 



9. LIFE IN PENNSYLVANIA. 

The People of Pennsylvania. — Pennsylvania was 
settled by people of different nations, and several 
languages were spoken tlicrc. Among these settlers 
were English and Swedes, Dutch and Germans, Scotch 




Wii.i.iAM I'i.nn's I1'm>i;, Philadelphia. 

and Irish. There were no important towns besides 
Philadelphia, but that was the greatest city in America 
till after the Revolution. 

Philadelphia. — "William Penn laid out his city with 
streets crossing each other at right angles, like those 
of ancient Babylon. It had many handsome build- 
ings, the streets were lined with trees, and there were 
gardens and orchards about the houses, so that it was 



LIFE IN PENNSYLVANIA 75 

a "fair greene country town," as Penn wished it to be. 
The sidewalks in time were paved with flag-stones, 
which at that period could be found in few cities. In 
1740 the city had about twelve thousand inhabitants, 
and was a very thriving place. 

Modes of Life. — Philadelphia was noted for the abun- 
dance of its fruit. A German traveller said, in 1748, 
that the peaches were so plentiful that the people 
fed their pigs on them. The people in Europe, he 
said, cared more for their turnips than the people in 
Philadelphia did for their finest fruits. 

The shops of the city were only the ordinary houses, 
with something hung over the door to show what was 
for sale inside. Now you would see a basket, now a 
beehive, or perhaps a wooden anchor, or something 
else to serve as a sign. The people were very quiet 
and sober, and did not care much for amusements. 
There was not much travelling about the country, for 
the roads were very bad. 

Dealings with the Indians. — While WiUiam Penn 
lived his colony had no trouble with the Indians. It 
has been said that no drop of Quaker blood was ever 
shed by an Indian. This is not quite true, yet they 
and the Quakers were long the best of friends. But 
one of William Penn's descendants treated the Indians 
badly, and made them very angry. 

The Indians had sold the whites as much land as a 
man could walk over in a day and a half. They sup- 
posed that this land would be walked over in the usual 
way; but instead of that an easy route was chosen and 
some fast walkers were trained, who went over a very 
long distance in the day and a half. The Indians said 



76 



THE ENGLISH COLONIES 



that this was not fair. But Indians were brought 
from New York who were enemies of the tribe of the 
Delawares, and who drove them from their lands. 
This was not the way that WiUiam Penn would have 
acted, and the Indians never again felt as they had 
done towards the white men. 

Benjamin Franklin. — In 1723 there came to Phila- 
delphia a very remarkable man. This was the cele- 
brated Benjamin Franklin, who was born in Boston, 
but came to Philadelphia while 
he was young. His brother had 
printed a newspaper in Boston, 
and Franklin soon started one in 
Philadelphia, which became one 
of the best in the country. He 
did many other things. He kept 
a stationer's shop; he bound 
books; he made ink; he sold 
rags, soap, and coffee. 

He was not ashamed to do 
anything honest, and would wheel the papers he sold 
along the streets in a wheelbarrow, which many poorer 
and less worthy men were too proud to do. He was 
one of the wisest men of the period in which he lived. 
While he was working he was always studying, and it 
was he who proved that lightning is the same thing as 
electricity. He brought the lightning down from the 
clouds along the string of a kite, and got an electric 
shock from it. 

Franklin did much for the progress of Philadelphia. 
He started a university, a hospital, a library, and other 
public institutions. He worked also for the good of 




Benjamin Franklin, 



THE CAROLINAS 77 

the whole country. No man did more to help Amer- 
ica to become free from England, and he was one of 
those who prepared the Constitution of the United 




Franklin Brought the Lightning Down from the Clouds. 

States, that great document which first made a nation 
of this country. Frankhn was one of the noblest men 
the world has ever known, and America will never 
cease to be proud of him. 

10. THE CAROLINAS. 

The Gift of Carolina. — ^Ye have seen how freely King 

Charles II. gave away land in America. He gave New 

York to one person and Pennsylvania to another, and 

a large region, known as Carolina, was given by him to 



78 THE ENGLISH COLONIES 

eight persons, most .of whom were noblemen of his 
court and none of whom had ever seen America. 

Settlers had come to Carolina before this, some from 
Virginia, and others from New England and elsewhere. 
Several settlements had been made before 1663, when 
these noblemen became the owners of the land. These 
eight persons decided to have a different kind of gov- 
ernment from that of the other colonies. 

They did not believe in freedom, and thought that 
the people were not fit to take care of themselves, as 
they were trying to do in New England. So they 
concluded to have a strong government, in which the 
people would have nothing to do but to obey the laws 
that were made for them. 

The Grand Model Government. — The proprietors of 
Carolina went to a celebrated philosopher, named John 
Locke, and asked him to draw up a system of govern- 
ment for them. He did so, forming a plan which he called 
the " Grand Model." There were to be earls and barons 
in Carolina as there were in Europe. These were to 
own all the land, and to have all the power, and the 
people were to be little better than slaves, since they 
could not leave the plantations on which they worked. 

What the People Did. — This plan might have done 
very well for the Spanish or French colonies, but it 
would not do for the English. The people in Carolina 
had come from other parts of the country, where the 
settlers owned the land and made the laws. They did 
not understand the Grand Model, and paid no atten- 
tion to it, but went on in their own way and took all 
the land they wanted, caring nothing about the plans 
of the distant owners. 



THE CAROLINAS 



79 



The earls and barons stayed at home and the pro- 
prietors stayed with them, while the people decided 
for themselves what was best to do, and did it. Settlers 
came from different parts of Europe, among them some 
French Protestants, who had the same behef as those 
who had come to America a hundred years before under 
Jean Ribault. The colony soon became prosperous. 

The Pirates. — Everybody was not honest and law- 
abiding, for pirates, or sea-robbers, soon appeared 
along the coast and for 
years they made much 
trouble for the com- 
merce of the colonies. 
They would hide with 
their vessels in the 
bays and rivers of the 
coast, and suddenly sail 
out and attack passing 
ships. It is said that 
some of the settlers 
helped them. They 
sunk many vessels and 
murdered many people 
before they were driven 
away or captured by 
armed ships, and it 
took a long time to bring this piracy to an end. 

Industries. — Rice was first brought into the colony 
by a vessel from Madagascar. The grains were planted 
and it became a very valuable crop in the southern 
part of Carolina. In the northern part the people made 
tar and turpentine out of the sap of the pine-trees, and 
hunted for bear and beaver skins. 




A Pirate Attack. 



80 THE ENGLISH COLONIES 

Spanish and Indian Wars. — Later on there were wars 
with the Spaniards and the Indians. The people of 
CaroHna sent some war vessels against St. Augustine, 
the Spanish settlement in Florida. In return the 
Spaniards stirred up the Indians to make war on the 
settlements. But in the end the Tuscarora Indians, 
with whom they had the most trouble, were driven out 
of the colony and forced to go to New York, where 
they joined the Iroquois, or Five Nations. 

Division of the Colony. — The proprietors still tried 
to govern the people, but these preferred to govern 
themselves, so they drove out of the colony one of the 
governors sent to them and put his secretary into 
prison. In the end the proprietors got tired of quar- 
relling with the people and asked the king to buy 
the province from them. 

He did so, and divided it into two parts, which 
he called North Carolina and South Carohna. This 
was done in 1729. The people now chose their own 
law-makers, though they did not Hke the governors 
sent them by the king any more than they had done 
their old ones. But this did not keep other people 
from coming, and the country in time grew rich and 
prosperous. 

11. LIFE IN VIRGINIA AND CAROLINA. 

The Settlers of Virginia. — The people who settled 
Virginia were of a very different class from those of the 
Northern colonies. Many of them were English gentle- 
men, with more pride than money, who did not know 
how to work, and who hoped to get rich by finding 
mines of gold and silver, or in some other easy way. 



LIFE IN VIRGINIA AND CAROLINA 81 

Afterwards criminals were sent across tlie ocean and 
made to work for a certain number of years on the 
plantations. No doubt many of them were of little 
use. In time the planters became the rich men of 
Virginia, and these servants the poor men. 

In the Early Days. — Captain Smith, as we have 
already said, made everybody work, but he did not 
stay very long. At first, as he says, all the shelter the 
colonists had was an awning made from an old sail, 
nailed to trees. Then they built some rough log houses, 
with seats and tables made of planks cut with an axe. 
This was very different from the way people after- 
wards lived in Virginia, 

When slaves were brought to the colony and the 
people began to raise tobacco they soon grew more 
comfortable. Their tobacco was sent to England, and 
goods were sent to them in return. For a long time 
tobacco was used for money. One pound of tobacco 
was worth from two to twelve cents of our money, 
but at that time this could buy five or six times as 
much as the same amount of money can now. 

Modes of Life. — The settlers soon began to build 
vessels for themselves, and carried on a good trade with 
England, They lived in a different way from the 
people of the North. In travelling you would find 
few tov/ns or villages, but the land was divided up 
into large plantations, where tobacco was the principal 
crop. Each house stood far from any others, and there 
were a great many negro slaves. 

The slaves who worked in the fields lived in little 
villages of their own. Nearly everj^thing that was used 
on the plantations was made by the slaves, who were 
6 



82 THE ENGLISH COLONIES 

taught different trades. There were mills to grind corn 
and wheat, and large sheds to cure tobacco. This 
tobacco was packed in great hogsheads and sent to the 
coast to be loaded on vessels and shipped to England. 
They had a curious way of sending it to the coast. 
An axle was run through the hogshead of tobacco, 
and shafts fixed to it. Then horses or oxen would drag 
it over the roads, the hogshead rolling along like a 
great wheel. 

The Planters. — As time went on there came to be 
great differences in riches. There were more very rich 
men and more very poor ones in the South than in 
the North. The great planters lived like lords. They 
kept packs of hunting dogs and many racing horses, 
and rode to church or town in fine coaches, each 
drawn by six horses and attended by riders on 
horse-back. 

The Houses of the Planters. — The houses, which were 
built of wood, or of bricks brought from England, 
were often large and grand, having broad stairways 
and mantels and wainscots of sohd mahogany, which 
was richly carved. Gold and silverware could be 
seen in abundance on the sideboards, and the furni- 
ture was rich and showy. The planters were very 
hospitable. Strangers were received with a warm wel- 
come, and everything was done to make their visits 
pleasant and agreeable. 

Govern ment.-O-The planters spent much of their time 
attending to political matters. They carried on the 
government of the colony and became skilful in 
the art of politics. There were among them men of 
high education and fine character, and afterwards many 



LIFE IN VIRGINIA AND CAROLINA 83 

of the leading statesmen of America came from Vir- 
ginia. The governors of the colony were sent from 
England, and at first the laws were made in that 
country. Afterwards the people were allowed to make 
their own laws. 

Punishments. — The early laws were very severe. 
Every man who stayed away from church was pun- 
ished. At first the law said that a man who stayed 




Interior of a Virginia Homestead. 



away from church three times should be put to death. 
Afterwards the punishment for this offence was to be 
made a slave for a year and a day. There were severe 
laws against swearing and scolding. Both men and 
women might be whipped in public, or placed in the 
stocks. Or they might be made to stand in church 
with white sheets over them, or with the name of their 
offence pinned on their breasts. Such laws, however, 
did not last long, and were not often carried out. 



84 THE ENGLISH COLONIES 

Religious Persecution. — The Church of England was 
the estabHshed church of Virginia, and members of 
other churches were treated with much severity. The 
laws forbade Quakers and Cathohcs to come into the 
colony. All those who came were punished. This 
made many go to Maryland and Carolina, where 
religion was free; so that the severe laws of Virginia 
helped to fill up these other colonies. 

Education. — In 1671, Governor Berkeley, of Vir- 
ginia, wrote, "I thank God there are no free schools 
nor printing-presses here, and I hope we shall not have 
them these hundred years." Another governor taxed 
school-masters twenty shillings each. So education 
did not make much progress, and there was no news- 
paper in Virginia till 1736. But William and Mary 
College, of Virginia, founded in 1693, was the second 
in the country; Harvard College, of Massachusetts, 
being the first. 

North Carolina. — The mode of life all through the 
South was much the same as in Virginia, the land 
often being divided into great plantations, worked 
by slaves, while the country was not so thickly set- 
tled as in the North. In North Carolina the people 
lived in different ways. Great pine woods lay all 
along the coast region, and the people there got 
tar and turpentine from the trees. Farther back the 
country was more open, and farms were cultivated, 
while many persons spent their time in hunting. 
The settlers lived far apart, and the only roads 
they had through the woods were paths, with notches 
cut on the trees to guide travellers. This they called 
"blazing their way." 



GEORGIA 85 

South Carolina. — South Carolina was much more like 
Virginia. Here great plantations were formed, but 
rice was raised instead of tobacco. Afterwards indigo 
was cultivated. The planters of South Carolina grew 
very rich from rice and indigo. At a later time cotton 
took the place of these. Farther back, near the moun- 
tains, the people were poor, the land was divided into 
small farms, and there were many hunters. 

Schools and Churches. — There were few schools except 
in Charleston, but the rich planters sent their sons to 
England to be educated. The Church of England 
became the established church of the colony, but there 
were no severe laws against people of other beliefs, 
as in Virginia. The difference in the crops and in the 
climate had much to do with the difference in mode of 
life of the Southern and Northern colonies. 

12. GEORGIA- 

Tyranny in Europe. — Is it not interesting to find that 
nearly all the English colonies in America were formed 
as places of refuge for the poor and ill-treated people 
of Europe? In our happy days and our free country 
it is hard for us to understand the way men lived and 
acted in Europe a few hundred years ago. People not 
only could not do as they wished to do, but were not 
even allowed to think as they wished to think. 

To-da)^ there are many different ideas about God and 
heaven and religious matters, but then the govern- 
ments tried to make everybody think the same way 
about these matters This they could not do. People 
never can be made to think the same way about any- 
thing Then the governments tried to force them to do so 



86 



THE ENGLISH COLONIES 



by ill-treatment, and thousands of men and women came 
to America to get away from those who oppressed them. 
Oglethorpe. — We have told the story of a number of 
colonies that were formed in this wa}'. There is one 
more to speak of, the colony of Georgia. This was 
formed by an Englishman named Oglethorpe, one of 
those warm-hearted men who spend their lives in 
trying to do good to their fellow-men. 

The English Prisons. — In those 
days persons in England who failed 
in business, and could not pay their 
debts, were put into prison, where 
they were often kept for many 
years. The prisons of old times 
were filthy dens, where the prison- 
ers were crowded together and 
treated with great cruelty, and 
many of them died of want and 
disease. It was these poor debtors whom Oglethorpe 
wished to help; but he said that all who were poor 
and unfortunate, and all who were ill-treated on account 
of their religion, might have a home in his colony. 

The Settlement of Georgia. — The king, George II., 
gave him a charter to the land that lay between Caro- 
lina and Florida, which he called Georgia, after the 
king's name. He brought over a number of the poor 
debtors, whom the king set free at his desire. They 
made a settlement where the city of Savannah now 
stands. It was a wariA climate and for a whole year 
Oglethorpe lived in a tent, set up under four pine- 
trees. The king had given him the land; but, like 
William Penn and some others, he thought that the 




Oglethorpe. 



GEORGIA 87 

Indians had the best right to it, so he paid them for 
it. After that they were always friendly to him. 

Oglethorpe's Colonists. — People came to Georgia 
from all parts of Europe. These were the poor of 
Europe, who hoped to live in comfort in America. 
Among them were many Moravians from Austria, — 
people who had been persecuted on account of their 
religion. Oglethorpe would not let any slaves be 
brought into Georgia. He also would not let any per- 
son bring rum into the colony. He looked on slavery 
and intemperance as two great evils. 

The Colony Prospers. — Houses were built, and a fort 
was erected to defend the colonists, while the land was 
divided up into farms and given to the settlers. Sa- 
vannah soon became a town of considerable size and 
importance. The people were on good terms with the 
Indians, and all went well with them. No colony in 
America ever began with better prospects. But they 
were soon to have their share of trouble. 

The Claims of Spain. — The country which the king of 
England had given to Oglethorpe was part of that 
which Spain claimed under the name of Florida. It was 
the same region which Narvaez and De Soto had trav- 
elled over two hundred years before. So if discovery 
gave any rights, this land belonged to Spain rather than 
to England. But the Spanish had not settled it, and the 
English had, and they were not likely to give it up to 
please Spain. Those who had possession did not trouble 
themselves much about an old claim on paper. 

War with Florida. — The Spaniards grew angry on 
finding the English coming into a country which they 
said was theirs. After some years war broke out 



88 THE ENGLISH COLONIES 

between England and Spain, and then the people of 
the colonies began the cruel work of trying to kill one 
another. In the year 1740 Oglethorpe, who was an 
old soldier, got together an army of one thousand white 
men and many Indians, and marched into Florida to 
capture the Spanish city of St. Augustine. But he did 
not succeed and had to march back again, with his 
men very much the worse for their journey. 

Oglethorpe Defeats the Spaniards. — Two years after- 
wards the Spaniards tried to take Georgia from the 
English. They sailed northward with three thousand 
men and a great many vessels, and landed on St. 
Simon's Island. Oglethorpe met them with a much 
smaller force, but by a shrewd plot he threw the 
Spaniards into a panic of terror and they ran for their 
ships. They sailed away in all haste and the colony 
was saved. Many years passed before Georgia had any 
more troubles from war. 

After the War. — Some time after this Oglethorpe 
went back to England. The people were not satisfied 
with the laws, some of which were severe and vexa- 
tious, and they made so many complaints that in 
time the charter was given back to the king, and 
Georgia became a royal province. Oglethorpe never 
returned to America. He lived to be a very old man, 
and was one of the best men that had anything to do 
with the settlement of America. 

The Laws.— One of the laws of which the people com- 
plained stated that no man should own a farm beyond 
a fixed size. Another stated that no woman should 
have land left to her by will. Every man who held 
land was bound to serve as a soldier when called upon, 



GEORGIA 89 

and this was why women were not allowed to own it. 
Everybody was to have the rights of an Englishman, 
and all religions were free except the Roman Catholic. 

Industries of the Colony. — The people soon said that 
they could not work their lands in so warm a climate 
without slaves, so after seven years the planters were 
allowed to have them. And rum, which Oglethorpe 
had forbidden, soon made its way into the colony. 
The people cleared the forests and tilled the land with 
the help of their slaves, and after a while much silk 
was made in the colony. Silk-worms had been sent 
from England, with people who understood silk mak- 
ing, and this business was kept up until the time of 
the Revolution. General Oglethorpe took some of the 
first silk that was produced to England, and a silk 
dress was made of it for the queen. 

Visitors. — Among the people of Georgia was a settle- 
ment of the Highlanders of Scotland, and whenever Ogle- 
thorpe visited them he wore the Highland dress, which 
gave them great pleasure. Soon after Georgia was 
settled some celebrated English preachers came there. 
These were John and Charles Wesley, the men who 
started the Methodist doctrine in England. George 
Whitefield, another celebrated Methodist preacher, also 
came over. From the money which he received for his 
preaching he founded an " Orphan House " in Savannah. 

Dealings with the Indians. — As we have said, Ogle- 
thorpe, like William Penn in Pennsylvania, Lord 
Baltimore in Maryland, and the Dutch in New York, 
paid the Indians for their land. In consequence these 
colonies had much less trouble with the Indians than 
those which took the land without paying for it. 



90 



THE ENGLISH COLONIES 



The Indians of Georgia were called Creeks, because 
there were so many creeks, or small streams, in their 
country. They formed a league of several tribes, and 
were more civihzed than the Indians of the North. 




■UM. 

Oglethorpe and the Chiefs. 

The Chiefs' Gift. — Some of the chiefs gave Ogle- 
thorpe a buffalo skin, on the inside of which was a 
painting of the head and feathers of an eagle. They 
said to him, "The feathers of the eagle are soft, which 
signifies love; the skin is warm, and is the emblem of 
protection; therefore love and protect our little 
famihcs." And they lived up to this. All the trouble 
the Georgia people had with the Indians was with 
those 0.^ Florida, whom the Spanish stirred up against 
them. 



CONDITIONS OF THE COLONIES 91 



13. CONDITIONS OF THE COLONIES. 

The English Colonies. — We have now told the story 
of the settlement of the English colonies from New 
Hampshire to Georgia. Maine at that time was 
part of Massachusetts, and New Hampshire was 
the most northerly colony. The whole coast land 
between the French province of Canada and the 
Spanish province of Florida was occupied by English 
settlements. 

Each of the English colonies claimed the country 
from the settlements on the coast all the way to the 
Pacific Ocean. But the French also had a claim to the 
back country^ where they had made settlements, and 
it took some hard fighting later on to decide who 
should own it. 

Growth of the Colonies. — Tlie colonies grew very 
rapidly. In less than one hundred and fifty years 
after the first settlement was made there were a 
million and a quarter of people in the country. These 
were divided among the New England, the Middle, 
and the Southern colonies, there being nearly the 
same number in each. The South had more than the 
others, but not more white people. 

Industries. — The people of the colonies were very 
industrious. They raised tobacco, rice, indigo, grain, 
and other crops, much of which was sent to England to 
pay for manufactured goods. Rice served for money 
in South Carohna, as tobacco did in Virginia. The 
colonies in time grew so rich that they were able to 
help the king of England, in his wars, with money 
and ships. 



92 



THE ENGLISH COLONIES 



The Colonies Isolated. — At first the colonies on the 
coast were a long distance apart. Great forests spread 
between them, and it was not easy for a man to get 
from one to another except b}^ ships. So they had 
not much to .do with one another. The New England 




An Old Grist Mill. 

colonies were the only ones that were close together, 
but each of the other colonies has a history of its own, 
as if it were a separate country. 

Growing Together. — The country between the colo- 
nies in time filled up with people, the timber was cut 
down, and farms were laid out all along the coast and 
some distance into the interior. By 1750 the settle- 
oients had grown together so that men might travel 



CONDITIONS OF THE COLONIES 93 

by land along the whole coast and find white men at 
short distances apart. America was now fast becoming 
one country, instead of a number of separate colonies. 

Land Travelling. — But a land journey in America in 
colonial times was not an easy task. It was not till 
long afterwards that railroads and steamboats came 
into use. The roads were bad, and many of the 
streams had no bridges, or very poor ones, so it was 
not easy nor pleasant to travel on horseback or by 
carriage. There were stage-lines in some places, but 
the stages moved very slowly. Much of the travel 
continued to be in vessels along the coast. 

Difference in Customs. — The people of New England 
w^ere settled more closely than those of the South. 
Their land was broken up into small farms, and more 
goods were made in workshops. In the South there 
was more land, and most of it was divided into large 
plantations, so that the people lived at a distance 
apart, and there was less social intercourse than in the 
North. Negro slaves were kept in the whole country, 
but there were more of them in the South than in 
the North, for the great plantations in the South 
could not be worked without them, while there was 
much less use for them on the smaller farms of the 
North. The warm chmate of the South also was 
better suited to them. 

Government. — Each of the colonies had a legisla- 
ture, or law-making body, of its own, but only New 
England elected its own governors. Elsewhere the 
governors were appointed by the proprietors or the 
king, so that the people had less to do with public 
affairs. 



94 THE ENGLISH COLONIES 

Restrictive Laws. — England wanted to keep all the 
trade of the colonies for itself. The people were for- 
bidden to send their vessels and goods to any other 
country than England, or to let the ships of any other 
country come into their ports. And the Enghsh wanted 
to manufacture their goods for them also, and to keep 
the people of America at farming. The}^ forbade them 
to make iron, paper, hats, leather, and other things. 

These laws WTre not well carried out. The people 
often disobeyed them, sending ships where they 
pleased and making many things for themselves. In 
after years England "tried to enforce the laws, and the 
people grew angry and rebellious. This was one of the 
things that led to the Revolution. 



PART II.— QUESTIOXS FOR EXAMIXATIOX. 

1, Name the two companies formed to make settlements in 
America. When did they send out colonies? Where did the South- 
ern colony settle? How did the colonists act? How did Captain 
John Smith make them work? How did Pocahontas save Captam 
Smith's life? What became of Smith? Describe "the starving 
time." What plant did the colonists begin to raise? ^\^len were 
slaves first brought to America? How did the colonists get waves? 
Describe the Indian massacre. What caused Bacon's rebellion? 
What followed it? 

2. Why did the Pilgrims leave England for Holland? AATiy 
did they decide to go to America? What was the name of their 
vessel? Where did they land, and when? Why were they called 
Pilgrims? Who was Captain Miles Standish? What did Canonicus, 
the Indian chief, do? What new settlement was made? What 
were these colonists called? What was done with the charter? 
What kind of government was established? What other colonies 
were formed? How came Roger Williams to found Rhode Island? 
Ho\v were religious opinions treated there? How did the Quakers 



QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION 95 

»cc in Massachusetts? How did the Puritans treat them? "What 
is meant by witchcraft? Describe the Salem witchcraft. What 
advance was made in government? Tell what was done about 
the Connecticut charter. How did the people get rid of royaJ 
governors? 

3. How did the English treat the Indians? What did the 
Pequots do? Describe the attack on the Pequot fort. What effect 
had this on the Indians? Who was King Philip and what did he 
do? Describe the attack on the Narragansetts. When and how 
was Philip killed? What were the results of the war? Why did 
the French stir up the Indians to attack the English? What was 
the result? How did Mrs. Dustin escape from the Indians? What 
was done at Schenectady and Deerfield? How did the people 
protect themselves from the Indians? 

4. What were the houses of the Puritans like? How were they 
arranged and furnished? How was the sun made to tell the time 
of day? How did the Puritans dress? Wliat titles were used? 
What did they have for food? "What were their ideas about amuse- 
ments? What punishments did they inflict? How were votes 
taken at the town meetings? What were their rules about church- 
going? How were the churches protected? How were the people 
kept awake in the churches? What industries had the Puritans? 
What did Ihey use for money? What were their vessels used for? 
Who had to agt as soldiers and how were they armed? What was 
the mode of travel? How did Benjamin Franklin come to Phila- 
delphia? 

5. For what purposes did people come to America? What region 
did the Dutch claim? How came Adrian Block to spend the winter 
on Manhattan Island? "Where did the Dutch settle? How did 
they act towards the Indians? How were they driven out of Con- 
necticut? "WTiat peoples settled along Delaware Bay? How did 
the Dutch act towards the Swedes? "What did the Duke of York 
do? What name did the English give to the Dutch town of New 
Amsterdam? How was the English rule liked? Describe Leisler's 
revolt. What proportion of the people of New York were slaves? 
What story was started about them and how were they treated? 

6. What kind of houses did the Dutch build? How were they 
furnished? Did the Dutch work hard? "What were some of their 



96 THE ENGLISH COLONIES 

customs? How did they treat their ministers? How were the men 
and women dressed? What did they send to Europe? How was 
the country settled? What were the great land-owners called? 
Did the farmers own their land? How were the estates of the 
patroons broken up? 

7. How were the Catholics treated in England? What did 
Lord Baltimore do? What did he name the land granted him? 
What did he declare about religion? Describe Clayborne 's rebel- 
lion. Wliat did the Protestants do? WTiat happened aft^r the 
king took control of the colony? Was it given back to Lord 
Baltimore again? How did the peoj^le of Maryland live? ^Miat 
did they use as money? 

8. What beliefs and customs did the Quakers have? How 
were they treated in England? \Mio was William Penn? How 
came he to ask the king for land in America? What land did the 
king give him? What did its name mean? When did William Penn 
come to America? What city did he lay out? Describe Penn's 
treaty with the Indians. How did the Quakers and the Indians 
get on together? What power did Penn give the people? How 
fast did the city of Philadelphia grow? How was Penn treated by 
xhe colonists? After whom was the Delaware River named? When 
was the colony of Delaware separated from Pennsylvania? Who 
first settled New .Jersey? WTio bought the land? WTien did New 
Jersey get a governor of its own? 

9. From what nations came the settlers of Pennsylvania? How 
was Philadelphia laid out? How were the streets paved? How 
many inhabitants were there in 1740? "V\Tiat is said about fruit? 
How were the shops arranged? What was the character of the 
people? How were the Indians treated? ^Vhat trick was played 
to rob them of their land? What celebrated man came to 
Philadelphia in 1723? How did he do business? How did he 
prove that lightning and electricity are the same? What did 
he do for Philadelpliia? What service did he perform for the 
whole country? 

10. To whom did Charles II. give the pro^^nce of Carolina? What 
ideas did the proprietors have about the people? Whom did they 
ask to draw up a plan of government? What was this plan called? 
How were the people to be governed? How did the people act? 



QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION 97 

What class of law-breakers was there along the coast? In what 
part of Carolina was the rice plant grown? What did the people 
do in the northern part? Describe the wars with the Spaniards 
and Indians. What became of the Tuscarora Indians? ^Vhat 
troubles took place between the people and the governor? ^V^lat 
did the proprietors ask the king to do? How did the king di\'ide 
the Carolinas? 

11. What class of people came to Virginia? 'What other kind 
were sent there? How did they become divided? How did the 
people live at first? What was used as money? What was it worth? 
How did the people live afterwards? What work did the slaves do 
on the plantations? How were the tobacco hogsheads sent to the 
coast? How did the great planters live in later years? What were 
their houses like? How were strangers treated? What kind of 
government had they? What punishments were inflicted by the 
early laws? What was ths established religion of Virginia? How 
did the government act towards other religions? For what did a 
governor of Virginia thank God? Which were the first two colleges 
in America? How was the land divided in the South? What did 
the people of North Carolina produce? How cUd they make their 
way through the woods? What was South Carolina like? What 
crops were raised? How was education provided for? 

12. How were the debtors of England treated a few centuries 
ago? For what purpose was the colony of Georgia founded? Who 
was its founder? How did Oglethorpe treat the Indians? What 
classes of people came to Georgia? What did Oglethorpe do about 
slaves and rum? What claim was made by Spain? What did Ogle- 
thorpe do? What was the fate of the Spanish expedition? What 
kind of man was Oglethorpe? What were the laws that the people 
complained of? When were the planters allowed to have slaves? 
WTiat important industry was started? What was done \vith some 
of the first silk? What celebrated English preachers came to 
Georgia? Were the Indians paid for their land? Why were they 
called Creeks? What did the chiefs give Oglethorpe? Was there 
any trouble with the Indians? 

13. How far back from the coast did the English colonies 
claim the country? What other people claimed the back country? 
How rapidl) did the colonies grow? How was the population 

7 



98 THE ENGLISH COLONIES 

divided? "What crops were raised? How rich did the colonies 
grow? Was it easy to get from one colony to another? Why not? 
Which colonies were close together? What had happened by 1750? 
Why were land journeys difficult? Why was there more social 
intercourse in New England than in the South? Where were negro 
slaves kept? Why were they most useful in the South? How were 
the governors appointed? What did England do about trade? 
What were the people forbidden to make? What was the result of 
these laws? 



PART III. 

THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. 



1. THE FRENCH IN AMERICA. 

The English Colonies. — We have told the story of 
how the EngHsh came to America and settled along 
the coast of what is now the United States. The 
colonies they formed were not very large. They did 
not go far back from the coast, but, as we have 
already said, their people laid claim to the land across 
the whole country as far as the Pacific Ocean. 

These claims were only on paper, for they had not 
taken possession of much of the land. Most of the 
countr}^ to the west was still in the hands of the 
Indians; but part of it was held by other white men, 
people of another nation, who had settled on it, and 
were not likely to give it up without a fight. 

The French Settlements. — These people were the 
French. They had forts and settlements along the 
line of the great lakes and down the Mississippi River 
as far as the Gulf of Mexico. These were at long 
distances apart, but France claimed all this country and 
also that between the lakes and the Ohio River. Thus 
it seemed as if the English would in time be confined 
to their settlements along the coast, and the western 
country would belong to the French, But before we 
tell the story of what followed we must go back to the 
early French settlers, and relate what they were doing 
while the English were forming their colonies. 

99 



100 THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR 

Enterprise of the French. — The French had been 
more active than the English in exploring the country. 
We have already told how Champlain made his way 
far into the country of the Iroquois. He also sailed 
jver some of the great lakes. Later on there were two 
things that took the French through the country. 
These were trade and religion. The French began early 
to trade with the Indians, and they travelled long 
distances in search of furs, and built trading-houses 
and forts far away from Quebec. Among them were 
many priests who belonged to the religious society 
known as the Jesuits. These priests wished to make 
Christians of the Indians, and made long journeys for 
that purpose, though they knew that they might be 
put to death by the savages. 

Marquette's Discovery. — One of these priests was 
named Marquette. He had spent years among the 
Indians, and knew their languages, and had often 
heard them speak of a mighty western river that ran 
far to the south. He wanted to see this river, and so in 
the year 1673 he crossed Lake Michigan and made his 
way partly by land and partly in Indian canoes along 
little lakes and streams, until he reached the Wisconsin 
River. 

He had with him a friend named Joliet and several 
others. For seven days they floated in canoes down 
the Wisconsin, and then, to their joy, they found them- 
selves on the great river of the West, the mighty 
Mississippi. De Soto had discovered this river one 
hundred and thirty years before, and had followed it 
as far north as the State of Missouri. Marquette 
floated down it until he reached the mouth of the 



THE FRENCH IN AMERICA 101 

Arkansas River. Then he and his friends turned and 
paddled their canoes up the stream again to the point 
from which they. had started. 

To What Marquette Owed His Success. — This was a 
remarkable journey for that early period. To see a 
few bold and daring men, hundreds of miles away from 
their countrymen, alone among tribes of fierce Indians, 
toiling through the forests of the West, and paddling 
in frail canoes along unknown and mighty lakes and 
streams, was to behold what has not often been seen 
in the history of the world. These men had no 
weapons in their hands. They had only the 3ible. 
But their Christian love and charity made them safer 
among the savages than if they had carried swords 
and muskets and been clothed from head to foot in 
armor of steel. 

La Salle's Purpose. — The next person to reach the 
Mississippi was a French gentleman, the Chevalier de 
La Salle. He knew that the English and the Spanish 
were fast taking possession of the New World, and he 
made up his mind that the French should own the 
great western country. So he got together a body of 
men, and began to explore the land beyond Lake 
Michigan, and to build forts and leave soldiers in them. 
He had many battles with the Indians, but he was not 
to be turned from his purpose. 

A Wonderful Journey. — At last he started on 
the great journey which he had long had in mind. 
With a party of French and Indians he crossed 
the country, paddling along the streams and carrying 
the canoes through the forests- until he reached the 
Mississippi. 



102 THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR 

It was then the year 1682, more than two and a 
quarter centuries ago. Down the great stream they 
went, among tribes which had never before seen a 
white man. Everywhere La Salle took possession of 
the country for the king of France. In time they 
reached the mouth of the Mississippi, and there La 
Salle laid claim to all the vast country drained by that 
great stream and the streams that ran into it. This 
country he named Louisiana, and declared that it 
belonged to France, and to the king, Louis XIV. 

La Salle's Later Life. — The bold travellers then went 
up the river again until they reached their starting- 
point. La Salle now returned to France, where every 
one looked on him as a hero. The king gave him ships 
and men to plant a colony at the mouth of the Missis- 
sippi, and the adventurers sailed joyfully away. 

But their journey ended very sadly. They could 
not find the entrance to the Mississippi, and landed at 
a place in Texas. Here La Salle built a fort, and then 
started with part of the men towards the Mississippi. 
The journey was a terrible one. The river was 
reached, and La Salle tried to make his way to Can- 
ada for help, but on the way he was killed by some 
of his men. And so ended the life of one of the 
greatest of American explorers. 

The End of the Colony. — Some of the men reached 
Canada and told their story, and a party was sent to 
Texas to save those in the fort. But when they got 
there the men were dead and the fort was a ruin. The 
Spaniards, who claimed Texas as theirs, had found 
them and put them all to death. This was the sad 
end of La Salle's great enterprise. 



THE FRENCH IN AMERICA 103 

Succeeding Events. — But the French were not dis- 
couraged. Another colony was sent in 1699 which 
made a settlement near the mouth of the Mississippi, 
and before many years New Orleans and other towns 
were laid out. These towns were very far away from 
the French settlements on the St. Lawrence River. 
Thousands of miles of land and water lay between them. 
Yet nearly the whole distance might be travelled by 
water along the great lakes of the North, the Missis- 
sippi River, and the streams which ran into it. The 
active French traders were not afraid to make long 
journeys, and many of them went in boats the whole 
way from Quebec to New Orleans. 

These explorers established military posts at many 
points along the great water-way. Traders settled 
around the forts and priests built churches near by, 
so that in time there was a little settlement at each fort. 

English and French in America. — All this went on 
for fifty years. Cities now stand where many of the 
French forts were built. But at that time there were 
not many French in America. In 1750 there were 
fifteen times as many English as French in the New 
World. In the country east of the Mississippi and 
south of the great lakes there were only about seven 
thousand five hundred Frenchmen, who were thinly 
spread over a great territory. 

The Ohio Valley. — The Enghsh were now making 
their way to the "West. A company was formed, 
called the Ohio Company, to buy up land and get 
settlers to move westward. The lands of this com- 
pany lay in Western Pennsylvania. When the French 
saw what was being done they were alarmed. They 



104 THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR 

were afraid they would lose the country if they did 
not make haste. They began by building a strong 
fort on Lake Erie, where the city of Erie now stands. 
It became clear that before long they would have 
forts and soldiers along the Ohio River unless the 
English prevented them. 

Danger in the Air. — It was plain now that trouble 
would soon come. The great rivals had advanced till 
they were near together. Both of them claimed to 
own the valley of the Ohio. They were beginning a 
race to see who should first get possession of it, and 
that race could not go on very long before the dreadful 
work of war would begin. Whether the French or the 
Enghsh should own the great basin of the Ohio and 
the Mississippi was soon to be settled by the sword and 
the cannon, and by the death of thousands of men. 

The Old Owners of the Land. — At this time neither of 
the rival peoples had any settlements in the valley of 
the Ohio, the only whites west of the mountain range 
being a few daring trappers and pioneers, until the 
sparsely peopled posts of the French on the Mississippi 
and in the region of the Great Lakes was reached. In 
this vast territory the red men dwelt supreme, their 
homes uninvaded and the land their own. Not a 
dream had come to them of peril from the white-faced 
strangers who had descended like a swarm of locusts 
upon the eastern lands. The primitive state of affairs 
which had lasted for thousands of years still prevailed, 
with little to show that within half a century more the 
locust-like swarm of strangers would spread over these 
wide plains, and the homes which the Indians so long 
had known would be theirs no more. 



GEORGE WASHINGTON 105 

2. GEORGE WASHINGTON. 

Early Wars. — There had been fighting in America 
between the English and French two or three times 
before. Every time a war broke out in Europe between 
these nations the settlers in America began to kill one 
another. In these wars most of the fighting was done 
by the Indians. We have already told how they 
attacked the settlements in New England and New 
York and murdered the people. 

The Action of Virginia. — But now a war was to have 
its beginning in America. The French and English 
stood face to face, like two dogs ready to fly at each 
other's throats. It was not long before the struggle 
began. Virginia claimed the country to which the 
French were sending their pioneers, and the governor 
of Virginia thought it was time to ask them what they 
proposed to do, and to tell them that the land they 
were taking belonged to his colony. 

George Washington. — Governor Dinwiddle soon 
picked out a messenger for this duty. This was a 
young man named George Washington, who was then 
only a little over twenty-one years old. He had been 
born in 1732, and it was now 1753. But he was known 
to be active and prudent. He had been a land sur- 
veyor in the wilderness, and was used to hardship. 
So Washington was chosen to go to the West and ask 
the French what they intended to do, and to warn 
them that they were on English land, for they had 
now built forts south of Lake Erie. 

George Washington was born to be a great man, 
and he had shown this while he was still a boy. Among 



106 THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR 

his school-mates he was the same as he was among his 
countrymen afterwards. He settled all their disputes, 
and he would not let anything take place that was not 
just and fair. Whatever he had to do he did well. 
The books of exercises which he wrote at school are 
remarkable for their neatness and carefulness. When 
he was older he became a land surveyor, and his surveys 
are among the most accurate ever made. Later in life 
he managed his own lands, packed and shipped his own 
tobacco and flour, and kept his own books. His books 
may still be seen. They were wonderfull}" well kept. 

Both as boy and man Washington was strictly hon- 
est and truthful. When his flour came into foreign 
ports the government agents did not inspect it. His 
name on the barrel was enough. It was well known 
that there was no lie in the Washington stamp. It 
would be well for the country if all public men would 
stamp their characters with the Washington stamp. 
This young man was destined to do a great work for 
America. We have now the first part of his public life 
to describe, but his name will often again come into our 
book. 

Washington's Journey. — The journey from Virginia 
to the French forts was a difficult one, for the country 
was wild and without roads, and it was the cold winter 
season. Washington went up the Potomac River till 
he reached the streams that flow into the Ohio. He 
followed these till he came to the forts and met the 
French commander. The Frenchman treated him 
very politely, but would not promise to leave the 
country. This was the word that Washington brought 
back ta Virginia. 



GEORGE WASHINGTON 107 

The journey homeward was terrible; much of it lay 
through the wild w^intry forest. The rivers were full 
of broken ice, and had to be crossed on rafts. In cross- 
ing the Alleghany River, Washington was thrown into 
the water, and had to spend the night on an island, 
w^et through and nearly frozen. At last he got back 
home with the answer of the French commander. 

Fort Du Quesne. — Both sides saw that no time was 
to be lost. The French were now on the Alleghany 
River not far from the Ohio. The Ohio Company 
decided to build a fort at a point which Washington 
had selected for this purpose. This was where the 
two rivers that form the Ohio come together, and 
where the city of Pittsburg now stands. The governor 
of Virginia sent to this point a party who began to 
build. But the French, who had come in canoes 
down the Alleghany, saw wdiat was being done and 
drove the English workmen away, finishing the fort 
themselves. They gave it the name of Fort Du Quesne. 
That was the first step towards the war that followed. 

Fort Necessity. — At this time Washington w^as march- 
ing towards the place with about four hundred men 
who had been enlisted in Virginia. On the way they 
met a party of French soldiers, and there was a fight 
in which Washington was victorious. But he was in a 
dangerous position, for many French soldiers were 
now in that country, so he built a small fort which 
he called Fort Necessity. The fort was soon sur- 
rounded by a large body of French and Indians, and 
the Virginians had to surrender. This took place on 
July 4, 1754. Though Washington had surrendered 
to a much larger force, he did so on the honorable 



108 THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR 

terms that he and his men should keep their arms and 
effects and go home unmolested. His skill and prud- 
ence in this affair gave much pleasure to the people 
of Virginia, and the governor made him commander 
of all the Virginia soldiers. 




A Night Council at Fort Necessity. 

England and France. — During this time the English 
and French were at peace in other lands. The first 
part of the war was fought by the people of America 
only. But soon England and France were at war in 
Europe also and began to send soldiers across the ocean 
to help the colonists. An English army was sent to 
Virginia, under an officer named General Braddock. 

General Braddock. — Braddock knew very w^ell how to 
carry on war in Europe, but he knew nothing at all about 
fighting with the Indians, and he was too proud to let any 
one tell him. So he and his army, with some Virginians 
under Washington, set out to drive the French from Fort 
Du Quesnc, marching slowly through the woods, making 
roads as they went, and wasting a great deal of time. 



GEORGE WASHINGTON 109 

By the time they got near the French fort several 
months had passed. Yet there were not many French 
there, and the Indians were not in a very good humor 
for fighting: so if Braddock had acted with common 
prudence he might soon have had the fort. But he 
knew too much to hsten to anybody, and thus he got 
his army into trouble. 

Braddock's Defeat. — Washington wanted to go ahead 
with his Virginians and drive the Indians from the 
woods; but Braddock would not let him, and he 
marched on, with banners flying and drums beating, 
until his army was in a deep ravine with steep banks 
and thick woods on each side. These woods were full 
of French and Indians in ambush. 

Suddenly the hidden enemy began to fire. The 
soldiers were taken completely by surprise, and fell 
dead and wounded on every side. The Virginians 
under Washington knew what they were about, and 
got behind trees to fight; but Braddock would not 
let his soldiers do the same thing, but kept them in 
their ranks and made them stand still to be killed. 
They fired blindly into the woods, but did no harm 
to their foes, while hundreds of them were slain. 
When they could stand this no longer they turned and 
fled for their lives. Washington with his Virginians 
kept back the enemy, or many more of the British 
soldiers would have been slaughtered. It was the 
worst defeat in the early history of America. 

The Result of the Battle.— The battle had lasted three 
hours, and seven hundred out of twelve hundred men 
were killed. Braddock was mortally wounded, and all 
his officers were killed or wounded. Washington was 



110 THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR 

the only officer that was not hurt, and he had two horses 
shot under him, while four bullets went through his 
coat. Long afterwards an old Indian chief said that 
he had fired many times at "Washington during the 
battle, but that the young American brave bore a 
charmed life and could not be touched by his bullets. 

The Indian Raids. — This defeat was a serious one 
for the colonics. The Ohio region was left to the 
French, while the Indians, who thought the English 
cowards, began to attack the settlements and murder 
all they could. All through the western part of Vir- 
ginia the people had to flee for safety; their houses 
were burned, and the rifle and the tomahawk brought 
death to many of them. "Washington was kept busy 
in fighting with the savage foes, and did this with great 
skill and courage, but he had a difficult task. 

The Fort Captured. — Three years afterwards another 
expedition was sent to take Fort Du Quesne, "Washing- 
ton being with it. By this time the French had got 
the worst of the war, and did not feel able to hold the 
fort. But the English commander had lost so much 
time on the way that he was about to march back 
without coming near the fort, when Washington 
asked if he might go ahead with his Virginians. When 
told he might do so he hurried forward, but the French 
did not wait for him. They set fire to the fort and 
fled down the river in their canoes. 

The contest for the ^^alley of the Ohio thus ended in 
victory for the English, The French gave it up to 
their opponents, and never laid claim to it again. It 
was during this time that Washington learned the art 
of war, of which he was soon to make such excellent use. 



THE WAR IN THE NORTH 111 

3. THE WAR IN THE NORTH. 

The Capture of Louisburg. — The war which had 
begun on the Ohio soon spread to other parts of the 
country, and we must tell what took place elsewhere. 
There was much hard fighting in the north between 
New York and New England and the French settle- 
ments in Canada. The British fleet also took part in 
the war. The French had a very strong fortress at the 
town of Louisburg, on the island of Cape Breton. 
They thought that no force could capture it, but they 
were mistaken in this. It had been captured in 1745, 
in an earlier war, by a body of New England soldiers. 
At the end of that war it w^as given back to the French, 
but in 1758 it was again attacked by a strong English 
fleet and forced to surrender. The English never 
gave it up again. 

Acadia. — The country which we now know as Nova 
Scotia and New Brunswick was called Acadia by the 
French. It was settled by people of French descent, 
many of whom had fine farms, and others lived by 
hunting and trapping. The peninsula of Nova Scotia 
had been taken from the French by the English in 
1710, and was still held by them; but it had very few 
English settlers, and its people did not like to be under 
English rule. 

The French Forts Taken. — The northern part of 
Acadia was still held by the French, and when the war 
began they built several forts on the Bay of Fundy, 
and got ready to try to drive the English from the 
country. But the English attacked these forts and 
took all of them. While the fighting was going on many 



112 



THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR 



of the Acadians helped the French. The Enghsh did 
not like this. They said that they would not have 
spies and enemies in their own land, and that the 
people must take, the oath of allegiance to England, 
and be ready to fight in the English armies if they 
should be needed. 




ExPULSii-:, ■ I !;ii_ Aladians. 

This the Acadians would not do. All their fcehngs 
were with the French, and they would not help the 
English. Then the English said that they should be 
all sent out of the country, since they would not sub- 
mit to the government. 

The Acadians Expelled. — Most of the Acadians were 
quiet and good citizens, but very many of them were 
seized and marched to the sea-shore, where they were 



THE WAR IN THE NORTH 113 

put on board ships and sent away to the different 
Enghsh colonies. Some of them fought with the 
Enghsh and drove them awa}', but several thousand 
were taken from their homes and sent to live among 
strangers. Their houses were burned and their farms 
ruined to keep them from coming back. 

This was a very cruel act. The English had reason 
to be angry with those Acadians who acted as spies 
and enemies; but most of the people were quiet and 
industrious, and all their crime was that they would not 
take an oath to bear arms against their countrymen. 
In time man}^ of those who had been sent away returned 
and took the oath of allegiance to England; but others 
suffered many hardships, and died in foreign lands. It 
is not easy to believe that this cruelty was necessary. 

From Canada to New York. — We have spoken in a 
former chapter of the great water-way by which the 
French could get from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. 
There is another water-way, that which leads from the 
St. Lawrence River to Lake Champlain and Lake 
George, and by way of the Hudson River to New York 
Bay. It was this route that Champlain had taken 
when he first set out to fight the Indians, and it was 
along these bodies of water that the remainder of the 
fighting in the present war took place. 

The French Defences. — The French had built forts 
along the Niagara River and Lake Ontario, and also 
at Crown Point, on the western side of Lake Cham- 
plain, and at Ticonderoga, at the northern end of 
Lake George. From these points they could easily 
send soldiers into New York and New England, so 
the English decided to try to take the forts. 



114 THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR 

The Battle of Lake George. — The English army in 
New York was led by General Johnson, a man who had 
much influence with the Indians. Many of these 
joined his army, for the Iroquois tribes had hated the 
French ever since they had fought with Champlain. 
While Johnson was marching north the French were 
marching south, and the two armies met at the south- 
ern end of Lake George. Here a battle took place in 
which the French were badly defeated. Hundreds of 
them were killed and the rest driven back. Johnson 
did not go on to capture the French forts, but stayed 
where he was, and built a stronghold which he called 
Fort William Henry. 

The French Successes. — During the next two or 
three years the French were everywhere successful. 
They captured Fort WiUiam Henry in 1757, and a 
terrible event took place there. The English were 
promised their lives if they would give up the fort, 
but as soon as they marched out the Indians fell upon 
them with tomahawk and scalping-knife and mur- 
dered many of them in cold blood. 

Attack on Ticonderoga. — The next year General 
Abercrombie attacked Fort Ticonderoga with a strong 
army. But the French defended themselves bravely, 
and the English were forced to retreat in haste, after 
they had lost two thousand men. 

The Turning of the Tide. — The war had now lasted 
for four years, and the French had been successful at 
nearly every point. They had held their forts on Lake 
Champlain and Lake George, and on the Ohio, and had 
defeated the English in nearly every battle. The 
English were much the stronger in numbers, and all 



THE WAR IN THE NORTH 115 

they needed was good leaders. With these they would 
be sure to gain the victory. 

In the year 1758 the tide turned. The English took 
several ot the French forts, and in 1759 took several 
others. Fort Du Quesne was taken, as we have told; 
and also Ticonderoga and Crown Point and the forts 
on Lake Ontario and the Niagara River. The French 
were driven out of what the English claimed as their 
territory, and were confined to Canada. The English 
next made up their minds to try to drive the French 
from Canada. 

The Siege of Quebec. — Canada had two important 
cities, Montreal and Quebec. Quebec was not easy to 
capture. It was built on the top of a high and steep 
hill, and was surrounded with strong walls, behind 
which were more than eight thousand men, com- 
manded by the Marquis de Montcalm. 

General Wolfe, a brave young English officer, was 
sent with an army of eight thousand men against this 
city, and for two or three months tried to take it, but 
he could not even get to the top of the hill on which it 
was built. At length he learned that there was a nar- 
row path up the face of the blufT. One dark night he 
took his men in boats down the St. Lawrence River, 
and by the break of day they had climbed up this steep 
path and dragged their cannon to the top of the hill. 

The Capture of the City. — Montcalm was astonished 
when he saw the English army before the walls of the 
city. If he had stayed behind these walls they might 
not have been able to take it. But he hastily led his 
men out, thinking he could drive the English over the 
precipice before they all got up the hill. He was sadl}'' 



116 



THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR 



mistaken. In the battle that followed the English gained 
a complete victory and Quebec fell into their hands. 

General Wolfe received a mortal wound, and as he 
lay dying he heard loud cries of "They fly! they fly!" 
" Who fly ? " he asked. ''The French, " was the answer. 
"God be praised!" he replied, "I die happy." Mont- 




The Siege of Quebec. 

calm also fell, and when told that he must die, he said, 
"So much the better; I shall not live to see the sur- 
render of Quebec." 

The End of the War. — Montreal was taken the next 
year, and soon the war came to an end. A treaty was 
made in 1763, by which France gave up to England all 
the country held by it east of the Mississippi River, and 
to Spain all the country west of this river. This was 
a great event for the English colonies. North America 
now belonged to two nations only, England and Spain. 



QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION 117 

Pontiac's Rebellion. — But there were many French 
in Canada and they made some further trouble. There 
was a bold and brave Indian chief named Pontiac, 
who wished to drive the English back from the Ohio 
and the lakes, and perhaps from the whole country. 
The French secretly incited him. to attempt this. He 
formed a league among several tribes, and a sudden 
attack was made on the English forts.. 

They took one fort by the trick of playing a game of 
ball before it. When the ball fell near the gate of the 
fort they rushed after it and into the open gate, near 
which sat their squaws, with tomahawks hidden under 
their blankets. These the warriors seized and killed 
nearly all the soldiers. The fort at Detroit was besieged 
for five months, and then the Indians gave up the 
siege. Several other forts were taken, but in the end 
the Indians were everywhere defeated. 

Thus ended the long struggle between the English and 
the French, which had continued, at intervals, for sev- 
enty-five years. The English were everywhere victorious, 
and were now to have a few years of rest from war. 



PART III.— QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION. 

1. How far back from the coast did the English colonies extend? 
How far did their claims extend? Who held the back country? 
Where had the French forts and settlements? What two things 
induced the French to explore the country? For what purpose did 
the traders travel? For what purpose the Jesuits? Describe Mar- 
quette 's journey. Who else sought to explore the Mississippi? 
In what year did he reach the Mississippi? Describe his journey. 
How was La Salle received in France? Where did his colony land? 
What was his fate and that of his colony? Where did the French 



118 THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR 

make a settlement in 1699? How could the French get from Quebec 
to Xew Orleans? How were settlements formed along the route? 
How many more English than French were in America in 17o0? 
WTiat was the purpose of the Ohio Company? Where did the 
French build a fort? What did the rival peoples claim? 

2. What did the Governor of Virginia decide to do? Wliom did 
he select as messenger? How old was W^ashington then? Why 
was he chosen? What can we say about the school-life of Washing- 
ton? W'hat did he do in older life? How were his books kept? 
How was his flour received in foreign lands? Describe Washington's 
journey. How did the French commander receive him? What 
did the Ohio Company decide to do? Wliat action did the French 
take? How did the first fight take place? Wh}' did Washington 
build Fort Necessity? What followed? "What general did England 
send to America? Describe his march. How did Braddock lead 
his army on? Describe the battle and defeat. WTiat did an old 
Indian chief say about Washington? What followed this defeat? 
How was Fort Du Quesne taken? What did this war teach 
Washington? 

3. When was Louisburg captured the first time? WTien the 
second time? What was the country of Xova Scotia and New 
Brunswick called by the French? Wliat part of it was taken by the 
English in 1710? What part was still held by the French? What 
did the English ask the Acadians to do? Why did the Acadians 
refuse? Tell how the Acadians were expelled. W^hat water-way 
leads from Canada to New York? Where did the French build 
forts? What was the result of the battle of Lake George? What 
fort did General Johnson build? Wliat terrible event took place 
when this fort was captured by the French? Describe Abercrombie 's 
attack on Ticonderoga. How long were the French successful? 
W^hen did the tide of success turn? What victories had the English? 
Which were the two important cities of Canada? Who led an army 
against Quebec? How did he get his men to the summit of the bluff? 
What did Montcalm do? Wlio gained the victory? WTiat were 
Wolfe's last words? AVhat were Montcalm's last words? What did 
England gain by the treaty of peace? What did Pontiac hope to 
do? Describe his attacks on the forts. 



PART IV. 

THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. 



1. THE TYRANNY OF ENGLAND. 

The Story of the Revolution. — The story we have 
now to tell is one that every American should hear 
with pride. It is the story of how the people of America 
were ill treated by England, and how they declared 
they would not submit to be made slaves of, and 
fought bravely until they gained their liberty. They 
suffered dreadfully, and thousands of them lost their 
lives, but they would not yield, and struggled on and 
on until England was forced to give up the war and 
sign a treaty of peace with free America. This is what 
is known as the American Revolution. 

How the Americans were Treated. — What was the 
character of this bad treatment of the Americans? 
That is what we have next to tell. They were ill-used 
in a good many ways. Governors were sent to them 
from England, some of whom acted as if they were 
kings and the people slaves. But what made the 
Americans most angry was that they were not allowed 
to trade where they pleased or make the articles they 
needed for their own use. 

The Navigation Laws. — The colonists had built 
many ships, and for a while they sent out their goods 
to foreign countries and got other goods in return. 
But the merchants of England did not like this. They 
wanted all this trade for themselves. So they had 

119 



120 THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION 

laws passed which said that the Americans should not 
trade with any country but England. All their rice, 
tobacco, and other products must be sent there and 
whatever they wanted in return must be brought from 
there. But the English would not pay as much for 
these goods as would other countries, so the Ameri- 
cans lost much of their profit. 

Then another law was made which said that no goods 
should be .carried to or from England in American ships. 
All trade with England must be done in English ships. 
The American ships might rot at their wharves. Even 
the trade from one colony to another was partly stopped. 

Restriction of Manufactures. — At the same time the 
people of America were not allowed to make anything 
for themselves. There was much iron dug from the 
mines, but it must all be sent to England, and pay a 
tax for going there. Then it was made into useful 
articles and sent back, and had to pay another tax. 
It was the same with other goods than those made of 
iron. The laws became so severe that a farmer could 
not even cut down a tree large enough for a ship mast 
on his own land without permission from the officers 
of the king. 

At first the laws were not so strict as this. But as 
time went on, and the English merchants and manu- 
facturers saw that the Americans were growing rich, 
they had the laws made more severe, until the Ameri- 
cans were allowed to do very little besides farming, 
and had to get everything but their food from England, 
m English aliips. 

The Laws Evaded. — All this was hard to bear. When 
men have a chance to grow rich they do not like to 



THE" TYRANNY OF ENGLAND 121 

work hard to make other men rich, while they stay 
poor. Many of the people of America refused to sub- 
mit to the English laws. Some of them made and sold 
goods in spite of the laws. Others who owned ships 
sent them to foreign countries, and brought back goods 
on which no tax or duty was paid to the government. 

Writs of Assistance.— This is what is called smug- 
gling. The officers of the government tried to put a 
stop to it. A law was passed which said that the king's 
officers might enter and search any house in which 
they thought smuggled goods might be hidden. The 
papers authorizing this were called "Writs of Assist- 
ance." Nothing could have made the people more 
angry than this. They said that "every man's house 
is his castle," and that no officer had a right to enter 
a dwelling-house On mere suspicion. Thus, as every 
one may see, there was getting to be very bad feel- 
ing between the Americans and the Enghsh. 

The Right of Taxation. — But the resistance of the 
people only made the English government more 
severe. As the merchants and manufacturers of Eng- 
land were growing rich from the labor of the Ameri- 
cans, the government thought it also ought to have 
more American money than it was receiving. The 
French and Indian War had cost England a great deal 
of money, and the English government claimed that as 
this money had been spent for the good of the colo- 
nies, they should help to pay it back. The colonies 
were paying much money to it already in the way of 
the duty on all goods sent by ships into or out of the 
country. This was an indirect tax, but the govern- 
ment claimed the right to lay a direct tax also. 



122 THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION 

The American Reply. — The people of the colonies 
answered that they were willing to tax themselves and 
pay such money as they thought reasonable to the 
government, but that no one else had the right to 
tax them. They would not pay taxes levied by the 
English Parliament, because they had no one to speak 
for them in that Parliament. If the government 
wanted to tax them it should let them send repre- 
sentatives to look after their interests. 

The Principle of Taxation.— All this was right and 
just. Every Englishman at home claimed that privi- 
lege, and the Americans thought they ought to have 
it too. But the government would not listen to them. 
It was bent on forcing them to pay such taxes as it 
chose to levy without giving them a voice in the 
making of the laws. The rulers of England did not 
know to what this was likely to lead. They had no 
idea how indignant the Americans were becoming. 

The Stamp Act. — The first direct tax law was passed 
in 1765. It was called the "Stamp Act," and declared 
that all legal papers drawn in America, such as deeds, 
bills, contracts, and the like, must be made on stamped 
paper, which paper was to be sold by the tax collec- 
tors. There was nothing very wrong in this. Laws of 
this kind have long existed in England. We have had 
them in the United States, and have paid the tax 
cheerfully. It was the way the law was passed that 
made all the trouble. It was as if England had said, 
"We intend to tax you when and how we please, and 
you shall have nothing to do with it except to pay the 
taxes." This was the beginning of the dispute which 
in ten years was to bring the country into war. 



THE TYRANNY OF ENGLAND 123 

The whole people grew angry when they heard of 
this law. They said that they had had nothing to do 
with making it and that they would not submit to it. 
Patrick Henry, a great orator of Virginia, declared 
that the people, and only the 
people, had a right to tax the 
people. They would vote taxes 
in their own Assemblies, if they 
were asked to, but no other body 
of law-makers had the right to 
vote taxes for them to pay. 

Repeal of the Stamp Act. — 
The stamps were sent to Amer- 
ica, but the people would not 
use them. In some places they 
burned them. In others they 

» T , 1 , fv , Patrick Henry's Chair. 

forced the stamp omcers to 

resign, or made images of them and burned these images 
before their doors. They declared that till the act was 
repealed they would not use English goods, but would 
make their own. They would all wear homespun 
clothes, and would eat no mutton, so that they could 
have more wool to weave into cloth. 

Agents were sent to London to try to have the 
Stamp Act repealed. Benjamin Franklin was one of 
these. He did much to let the members of Parlia- 
ment know how the American people felt. In 1766 the 
Stamp Act was repealed, because it was clear that it 
could not be enforced. No American would buy a 
sheet of the stamped paper. 

Soldiers Sent to America. — The English king and 
government were not ready to admit that they had no 




124 THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION 

right to tax the Americans. Taxes were laid in 1767 
on teas, glass, paints, and some other articles, and the 
dangerous step was taken of sending soldiers to Amer- 
ica as an aid in carrying out the laws. The Americans 
were told they must pay for the support of these 
soldiers. They answered that this was not just. 
They did not want to be treated like a nation that 
had been conquered in war. Their protest made the 
king very angry, and he sent two regiments of soldiers 
to Boston to support the tax officers. This was done 
because the people of Boston were very violent against 
the new taxes. 

The Boston Massacre. — The presence of the soldiers 
made the Bostonians more angry still, and disputes 
and quarrels arose between the people and the soldiers. 
One day, in 1770, a fight took place between some 
soldiers and a party of the citizens of Boston. The 
soldiers fired and several persons were killed. This 
added much to the indignation of the people. They 
called this affair the "Boston Massacre," and as the 
news of it spread over the country the colonists every- 
where began to think of fighting for their rights. 

The Tax on Tea. — For several years things went on 
in this way, the people growing constantly more angry 
with the English government. As they would not pay 
the taxes. Parliament tried another plan. They took 
off all the taxes except a small one on tea. This was 
such a trifle that they thought no one would object 
to it. They did not perceive that it was not the money 
that the Americans cared for, but the principle. As 
soon as the tax was laid the colonists refused to buy 
tea, though they had before used a great deal of it. 



THE TYRANNY OF ENGLAND 



125 



The Boston Tea=Party. — The king, George III., 
made up his mind to force them to take the tea. He 
wanted to let them see that his word was law and 
that he was their lord and master. Ship-loads of tea 
were sent to the American ports. But the people, 
who were then using the leaves of various plants to 
make tea of, would not have the English tea. In 
New York and Philadelphia the cap- 
tains were ordered to take their tea 
back again to England. In Charleston 
the tea was stored in damp ware- 
houses, where it soon' moulded and 
became useless. In AnnapoHs the tea 
was burned. In Boston the governor 
refused to send back the tea, but the 
people would not let it be unloaded. 
In the end a party of young men 
dressed like Indians ran to the 
wharves, rushed on board the ves- 
sels, broke open the chests, and eni])- 
tied all the tea into the harbor. 
This is what has been called the 
''Boston Tea-Party. " It put an end 
to the effort of Parliament to tax the Americans. 

The Boston Port Bill. — When the news of what had 
been done reached England the king was furious and 
Parliament decided that Boston should be severely 
punished. So a bill was passed called the "Boston 
Port Bill." It forbade any vessel to enter or leave 
Boston, except those with wood or provisions, and 
even these had trouble to get in. The whole trade of 
the port was cut off, and the people suffered severely. 




Boston Tea-Party. 



126 THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION 

Threats of War. — This law took effect on June 1, 
1774. It made the people of the whole eountiy very 
indignant. Provisions and money were sent to Boston 
from all the colonics. Instead of the Americans being 
frightened, they were more determined than ever. 
They had long been thinking of fighting for their 
rights, and they now got their arms ready and formed 
companies prepared to march at a minute's warning. 
These were called "minute-men." In September, 1774, 
the colonies sent delegates to Philadelphia, to meet 
and talk over their troubles. This assembly was called 
the First Continental Congress.- It sent an address to 
the king, and advised the people to stop all trade with 
England till the tax laws were repealed. It declared 
that the people of America had the right to govern 
and to tax themselves, and that they would not sub- 
mit to force, but would defend themselves against 
.oppression. Such was the state of the country at the 
beginning of the year 1775. 

2. THE WORK OF THE MIXUTE-MEX. 

Growth of the Colonies. — We have next to describe 
the greatest event in American history, that by which 
the people of the English settlements in America 
became free, and began their growth from a group of 
weak colonies into one of the noblest nations on the 
face of the earth. 

It was now a little more than a hundred and fifty 
years since the English had first settled in America. 
In that century and a half the colonies had grown to 
be strong and were becoming united. There were more 
than two millions of people in them, and they were fast 



THE WORK OF THE MINUTE-MEN 127 

growing rich and prosperous. Since the close of the 
French and Indian War they had made great progress. 

Ten Years of Tyranny. — In 1765 very few people in 
America thought of becoming free from England. In 
1775 most of the people of the country wanted to 
become free. That was what England had done in 
ten years by trying to make slaves of the Americans. 

The Feeling of the People. — ^At the opening of the 
eventful year 1775, Boston was the centre of the 
hostile feeling. The king had ruined its business, 
taken from many of its people the means of living, 
and filled it with soldiers. But all through New 
England the people were getting ready to fight, drill- 
ing as soldiers, and collecting arms, gunpowder, and 
other warlike articles in convenient places. The whole 
country was like a barrel of gunpowder, ready to 
explode if fire touched it. We have now to tell how the 
English applied the fire. 

The Stores at Concord. — The Americans had collected 
some military stores at the town of Concord, near 
Boston. General Gage, who commanded the soldiers 
in Boston, determined to destroy these. So one night 
he sent out a body of troops to march secretly to Con- 
cord and destroy them before the people could know 
what was being done. He did not understand the 
spirit of the people he was dealing with. It is very 
easy to throw a stone into a hornet's nest, but it is 
not so easy to get away from the stings of the hornets. 
This General Gage was soon to find out. 

Paul Revere's Ride. — The people of Boston were 
watching the soldiers. They had some idea of the 
plans of the British, and were ready for them. As 



128 



THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION 



soon as the troops began to move a signal light was 
hung in a church window. On the other side of the 
.river a man named Paul Revere was watching for this 
light. The moment he saw it he mounted his horse 

and rode at full 
speed through the 
country. At every 
house and village 
he woke the people 
and told them the 
British were com- 
ing. At once the 
men seized their 
rifles and powder- 
horns and hastened 
t o the appointed 
place of meeting. 
By daybreak a 
party of them were 
collected in the vil- 
lage of Lexington, 
on the road to 
Concord. Samuel 
Adams and John 
Hancock, two of 
the patriot leaders, were at Lexington, and the British 
officers had orders to arrest them. But they were 
warned by Revere and made their escape before the 
troops arrived. 

The Fight at Lexington. — The soldiers reached Lex- 
ington about four o'clock in the morning of April 19, 
1775. There were two or three hundred of them, and 




Paul Kevkki;'?* llii)?;. 



THE WORK OF THE MINUTE-MEN 



129 



they found about sixty armed farmers drawn up on the 
green. ''Disperse, ye rebels," cried the^Enghsh officer. 
'' Lay down your arms and disperse." As they did not 
disperse the soldiers fired, and seven of the Americans 
fell dead. Others were wounded. That was the first 
blood shed in the Revolutionary War. AVith that fire of 
musketry began the war that was to set America free. 




Battle of Lexington. 



The Retreat from Concord. — The soldiers hurried on 
to Concord, where they destroyed all the supplies they 
could find. But the Americans had been busy during 
the night carrying their stores to the woods. A strong 
force of minute-men had gathered at Concord. The 
British fired on these and the Americans fired back. 
Several of the soldiers were killed and wounded, and 
the others retreated in disorder. The Americans were 
too strong for them. 

But it was when the soldiers began to march back 
to Boston that they found the hornets were out of 
9 



130 



THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION 




Fight on Concord Bridge. 



their nest and ready to sting them. They had sixteen 
miles to go, and all along this distance the minute- 
men were gathered behind trees and stone walls, firing 
on them at every step. The British fell like dead leaves. 
At last they ran in a panic. Few or none of them 
would have got back, only that news of this trouble 
had been received and another strong force of soldiers 

, , marched out and met 

them at Lexington. 

There were eighteen 
hundred of them now. 
but the farmers fired 
on them all the way to 
Boston, and they were 
glad enough to get 
under shelter of the 
guns of their ships of war. They had been saying to 
themselves that the Americans were cowards and would 
not fight. They were not likely to say that again. 

The People in Arms. — The day before April 19 the 
country had been at peace. The day after it was at 
war. The story of the fight went like wildfire through 
the land. Everywhere the farmers left their ploughs 
and seized their rifles. In hundreds and thousands 
they hurried towards Boston. Soon there were twenty 
thousand men around that city. The British had 
made their last march out of Boston by land. When 
they went again they would have to go as they had 
come, in their ships by sea. 

Capture of Ticonderoga. — The bold fellows who lived 
in the hill country of Vermont, who were known as 
"Green Mountain Bovs, " were ciuick to move. Ethan 



THE WORK OF THE MINUTE-MEN 



131 



Allen, one of their leaders, gathered a strong party 
of them and led them to Fort Ticonderoga, on Lake 
Champlain, which they captured, May 10, without fir- 
ing a gun. The fort at Crown Point was taken by 
another Vermonter, and many cannon were captured. 

Breed's Hill Fortified. — Such were the opening events 
of the war. Now we must tell of its first great battle. 
One dark night the Americans set out to build a fort 
of earth on Bunker Hill, hear Boston; but they found 
that Breed's Hill was still nearer, so they built their 
fort on that. When day broke, June 17, the British 
saw that there was a long wall of earth where none 
had been visible the night before. Behind this wall 
lay men with rifles in their hands. There was only 
one thing to be done: they must drive the Americans 
out of these earthworks or they would themselves be 
driven out of Boston. 

The Battle of Bunker Hill. — The ships began firing, 
but the Americans went on with their work. Then three 
thousand soldiers crossed the river 
in boats and began to march up the 
hill. The American militia, under 
General Putnam and Colonel Pres- 
cott, lay behind their bank of earth 
and saw these soldiers — some of the 
best trained in the world — marching 
steadily upward. No one had 
dreamed that raw volunteers could 
stand before such veteran troops, yet 
the Americans did not flinch. "Aim low. Don't fire 
till you can see the whites of their eyes," said the 
American general. So they waited till the soldiers 




Putnam. 



132 THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION 

were close to the works and then fired. Every shot 
told. Down w^ent dozens of men. No living beings 
could stand such a fire, and the soldiers turned and 
ran hastily down the hill. They had found out to their 
sorrow what American marksmen could do. 

They came on once more and were met with a second 
terrible volley. Down the hill again they ran in a 
panic. Their officers had great trouble to get them to 
face a third time the American fire. But the Ameri- 
cans were now nearly out of powder. They fired once 
more, and then used their guns as clubs to drive back 
the soldiers. When the British found that the firing 
had stopped, they came on with the bayonet, while 
the ships fired cannon-balls into the works. The 
Americans now had to retreat. They were followed by 
the furious soldiers and many of them were killed in 
the retreat. But they had killed more than twice as 
many as they lost, and had taught the world that 
American militia were not afraid to fight British 
regulars. This first great conflict has become famous 
as "The Battle of Bunker Hill." 

The Action of Congress. — We must tell more rapidly 
what followed. Another Congress, known as the 
Second Continental Congress, met at Philadelphia in 
May, 1775. There was much to be done now, for the 
country was at war. Laws had to be passed for the 
whole country, and preparations made to carry on the 
war, since the people were determined that it should 
go on. General Washington was made commander in 
chief of the army and money was voted for the 
purposes of the war. The people were wilUng enough 
to pay taxes to their own Congress, though they had 



THE WORK OF THE MINUTE-MEN 133 

refused to do so to the English ParUament. Their feel- 
ing was like that afterwards expressed in these words: 
"MiUions for defence; not one cent for tribute." 

Evacuation of Boston. — Now there was war in 
earnest. Washington drilled the army at Boston and 
did his best to make soldiers out of farmers. It took 
a long time to do this, and it was the spring of the next 
year before he was ready. Then one night he built 
strong earthworks on Dorchester Heights, south of 
Boston. The British general looked at these works 
and quickly saw that he could not take them without 
losing many of his men, and that he could not stay 
in Boston if he did not take them. He remembered 
what had happened at Bunker Hill and decided to 
leave. On March 17, 1776, his men were marched on 
board the vessels, which set sail for Halifax, never to 
return to Boston. The same day the Americans took 
possession of the city which they had so long besieged. 

The Attack of Quebec. — While this was going on the 
Americans tried to take Canada. Two armies were 
sent there, one under General Montgomery and one 
under General Arnold. Montreal was captured and 
the army marched to Quebec. This city proved too 
strong. General Montgomery was killed and General 
Arnold, who now took command, stayed there during the 
winter, but had to retreat the next spring. The British 
followed him down Lake Champlain and had a naval 
battle with him on that lake. The Americans had fancied 
that the Canadians would join them, but they refused 
to do so, and Canada remained a British province. 

Fort Moultrie Defended. — There is one more event of 
importance that took place at this time. The English 



134 THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION 

government thought that it ought to make sure of the 
southern colonies. So in June a fleet was sent to 
Charleston, South Carolina. But it was soon found 
that the Southerners were as determined not to be 
slaves as the Northerners. Fort Moultrie, at the mouth 
of the harbor, was built of logs of the soft palmetto 
wood. The balls from the ships sunk in these and did 
little harm. Those from the fort did great damage 
to the ships. In the end the fleet had to turn and 
sail away. 

Brave Sergeant Jasper. — During this battle some- 
thing took place that is well worth telling. The flag- 
staff on the fort was cut by a ball, and the flag fell on 
the sand at the foot of the wall. A bold young sergeant, 
named Jasper, sprang down where the bullets were 
coming in like hail, seized, the flag, and soon had it 
floating proudly again on the fort. This has always 
been looked upon as one of the bravest deeds of the 
whole war. 

Footsteps of Freedom. — And now we must finish this 
part of our story by telling what turned the war from 
a rebellion into a revolution. When the Americans 
began to fight, it was done to teach the king and his 
government that they would not ])ay taxes if they 
were not allowed to help make the laws. But many 
of them thought that America ought to be free, and 
as the war went on this feeling spread widely among 
the people. They quit fighting for their rights under 
the British government, and began to fight for freedom 
from that government. 

The Continental Congress was still in session at 
Philadelphia, and the desire for freedom grew as strong 



THE WORK OF THE MINUTE-MEN 



135 



among the delegates as it was among the people. 
The first motion for liberty was made on June 7, 1776, 
by Richard Henry Lee, of Virginia He moved that 
the colonies, one and all, " of right ought to be free 
and independent States." 

The Declaration of Independence. — Five men were 
then appointed as a committee to draw up a Declara- 
tion of Independence. On this committee were such 
well - known men as Benjamin 
Franklin, John Adams, and Thomas 
Jefferson. Jefferson wrote the 
Declaration, which was imme- 
diately brought before Congress, 
and adopted by it on the 4th of 
July, 177G. All the members signed 
it, and this valuable old paper still 
exists, with their signatures to it. 

There is a legend that as soon 
as it had passed there rang out 
stirring peals from the bell of the old State-House, 
on which was the inscription, " Proclaim liberty 
throughout the land to all the inhabitants thereof." 
The news had been told to the old bell-ringer, and he 
pulled at the rope with all his might, while every 
stroke of the bell seemed to send the word '^Liberty" 
ringing over the land. Some say that this is not true, 
but at any rate it is a pretty story. Everywhere the 
people rejoiced to learn that they had been declared 
free. The statue of King George, in New York, was 
thrown into the dirt of the streets, and the arms of 
England were torn down from the public buildings 
oi the cities and burned in the streets, while the flag 




136 



THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION 



of Great Britain ceased to float anywhere in the new 
republic, for at that time there was probably not a 
British soldier on American soil. 

It was a grand declaration that had been made, 
and all lovers of liberty throughout the world heard 
of it with gladness. It said that a new nation was born 




Liberty I'. i.i. 



Indepexdence Hall, Philadelphia. 



upon the earth, and that the people of America were 
no longer fighting for the right to tax themselves, but 
for the right to govern themselves. But many dark 
days were to pass before they could gain the privilege 
of doing so in peace.* 

* The first Declaration of Independence in America was made 
by a convention of delegates in Mecklenburg County, North Caro- 
lina m May, 1775. They were chosen by the militia of that county, 




MAP OF THE 
REVOLUTIONARY WAR 

SCALE OF MILES 
' I I I I I ■ I 

60 100 



THE WAR FOR INDEPENDENCE 137 



3. THE WAR FOR INDEPENDENCE. 

The Meaning of the Declaration. — The people of 
America had declared that they were free and inde- 
pendent, but that did not make them so. They were 
to have years of hard fighting and great suffering 
before they could really become free. But now they 
had something of value to fight for. They were no 
longer troubled about paying taxes at the command 
of the English Parliament. They had declared that in 
future they would make their own laws, lay their own 
taxes, and carry on their own affairs, and that no 
other nation should rule them. That is what was 
meant by the Declaration of Independence, adopted 
on the 4th of July, 1776; and that is what has made 
the 4th of July ever since a day to be celebrated. 
It is the greatest day in the history of America. 

The Loss of New York. — After the Declaration the 
war went on more fiercely than before. The British 
had been driven out of Boston, so they decided to 
take New York. "Washington tried to defend it, but 
he did not have men enough, and after a hard battle 
on Long Island he had to retreat and give up the city. 
The British army held New Y'ork from that time till 
the end of the war. 

The Retreat Across New Jersey. — The country was 
now in a sad state. Washington's army was not half 

and were in session when the news of the battle of Lexington was 
received. They at once passed resolutions which declared the colo- 
nies to be free from Enghsh rule and entitled to govern themselves. 
This action was well received throughout Western North Carolina, 
and a copy of the resolutions was sent to Congress at Philadelphia. 



138 THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION 

SO strong as that of his enemies. Very few of the men 
were trained soldiers. They were short of powder, 
guns, provisions, and all that an army needs. It was 
now the autumn of 1776. Washington found that he 
could not hold his own against the British, so he had 
to retreat. He marched his poor, ragged, hungry 
men south across New Jersey, and as he went he burnt 
the bridges to keep the British back. When he got 
to the Delaware River, he took possession of all the 
boats that could be found, and had his army rowed 
across. The British quickly came up, but Washington's 
army was safe. There was a river between them and 
no boats that the British could use. 

The Feeling of the People. — The British were full of 
hope and joy, for they thought the fighting was nearly 
at an end, and settled down to pass the winter in peace. 
All through Europe it was believed that the American 
cause was ruined, and that the colonists would have 
tO' submit. Many of the Americans thought so too. 
They saw their army growing smaller every day, and 
knew that most of the men would go home on the 1st 
of January, as the time for which they had enlisted 
would end then. They had joined the army only for 
the year, and not many new men were coming to take 
their places. The people everywhere were disheart- 
ened, and many thought there was no chance of success. 

Washington Crosses the Delaware. — But there was 
one man who did not think so, and that man was George 
Washington. He waited till Christmas, and then led 
his men across the Delaware into New Jersey. It was a 
terrible crossing ; the weather was very cold, and the river 
full of cakts of floating ice. Yet he got the army across 



THE WAR FOR INDEPENDENCE 139 

and marched all night towards Trenton, where a British 
force was feasting and frolicking without the thought 
of an enemy. This force was made up of Hessians, — 
soldiers from Germany who had been hired from their 
rulers and sent over by England to fight the Americans. 

Trenton and Princeton. — It was early in the morn- 
ing when Washington reached the town. The Hessians 
were taken by surprise, many of them were killed and 
wounded, and a thousand taken prisoners. A few days 
afterwards Washington met another British force near 
Princeton and defeated them. These victories caused 
the British to draw back, and Washington remained in 
possession. They had a wonderful effect upon the 
Americans. Those who had been in despair now became 
full of hope. In Europe the feeling changed. It began 
to be thought that America would win, and everybody 
spoke of George Washington as the great hero of the age. 

Philadelphia Captured. — The year 
1777 was an important year of the 
war. In the Middle States the Ameri- 
cans lost ground, but farther north 
they gained a great victory. The 
British left New York, with a strong 
fleet and a large army, and sailed 
up Chesapeake Bay. Washington '^'^»^\.^^-^'i4-*»'' 
hastened to meet them, and a severe , 

' Lafayette. 

battle was fought on the Brandy wine 
Creek, below Philadelphia, at which the Marquis de 
Lafayette, a distinguished French officer, an aide to 
General Washington, was severely wounded. The 
Americans were defeated and had to fall back, and 
the British army marched into Philadelphia. 




140 



THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION 



The Winter at Valley Forge. — Some other fighting 
took place, and there was a severe battle at German- 
town, near Philadelphia. But the British could not 
be driven from that city, and when winter came on 
the American army went into winter quarters at a 
place called Valley Forge, northwest of Philadelphia. 




Winter Camp at Valley Fokge. 



This winter was the most terrible one of the whole 
war. The weather was very cold, and the men were 
nearly destitute of clothes and blankets to keep them 
warm and food to keep them alive. Some of them 
had to walk through the snow barefoot, their bleed- 
ing feet staining the snow red as they marched. When 
spring came many of the men were dead. Cold and 
hunger and sickness had been more fatal to them than 
the guns of the enemy. Yet those that lived were 



THE WAR FOR INDEPENDENCE Ul 

good patriots still, and as ready to fight for their 
country as before; and Washington never despaired. 

Burgoyne's March. — In the north, as we have said, 
the Americans had gained a great victory, and this 
gave spir't to the suffering army in Pennsylvania. 
A powerful British army had marched down from 
Canada by the old route of the French, that of Lake 
Champlain and Lake George. They thought they 
could cut ofT New England from New York, and thus 
divide the colonies into two parts. They took all the 
old forts, — Ticonderoga, Crown Point, and others. 
Another army was expected to come up the Hudson 
to meet them, and everything looked bad for the 
Americans. 

The Battle of Bennington. — But the men of that 
region were everywhere marching, rifle in hand, to 
defend their country. The Iroquois Indians had 
joined the British, but these were scared off and gave 
up the fight. The parties of the British sent out to 
collect food were attacked by the Americans. One of 
these parties was met at Bennington, Vermont, by 
General Stark, with his ''Green Mountain Boys," 
and badly defeated. When the battle began Stark 
called out to his men, "There are the red-coats. Before 
night they are ours, or Betty Stark is a widow. " 
And he meant what he said; before night he had 
six hundred prisoners and the rest of the British were 
retreating in disma3^ 

Surrender of Burgoyne. — It was not long before 
Burgoyne, the British commander, found that he had 
led his men into a trap from which he could not 
escape. He had gone so far south that he could 



142 THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION 

not return, nor could he march any farther forward. 
The Americans were everywhere around him. His 
army was short of food, and he did not dare to send 
out parties in search of it, for fear they would be 
captured. He made two fierce attacks on the American 
earthworks, but could not take them. Finally he had 
to surrender his whole army to the Americans. This 
took place at Saratoga, October 17, 1777. It was one 
of the most important events of the war, and had a 
wonderful effect on the spirits of the Americans and 
on the feelings of the people of Europe. It was, in 
fact, the turning-point of the war. 

The Treaty with France. — The surrender of Burgoyne 
led France to make a treaty with America and send 
over a large fleet to help in the war. This fleet did little 
in the way of service, but it gave hope to the Americans, 
while its presence discouraged the English. Their 
government now offered to do away with all the laws 
to which the Americans objected, if they would lay 
down their arms and surrender. This offer came too 
late. The Americans had determined to be free, and 
nothing less would satisfy them now. 

The Retreat from Philadelphia. — In 1778 the British 
in Philadelphia began to fear that if they stayed any 
longer they might be caught in as bad a trap as that 
which caught Burgoyne. The Americans were gather- 
ing around them, and there was danger that the Dela- 
ware might be closed against their ships. So they 
started on a hasty march across New Jersey to New 
York. Washington followed them, fought with them 
at Monmouth, and was prevented from defeating them 
by the uncalled for retreat of General Charles Lee. 



THE WAR FOR INDEPENDENCE 



143 




Mad Anthony Wayne.— During 1778 and 1779 there 
was not much done. A British fleet sailed south and 
took the city of Savannah, This was the first victory 
the British had gained in the southern States. In the 
north the Americans were victorious in one important 
fight. General Wayne, or ''Mad Anthony Wayne," 
as he was afterwards called, made 
a sudden attack on Stony Point, 
a fort on the Hudson River. He 
took it with the bayonet, without 
firing a shot, and captured some 
very valuable stores. 

The Massacre of Wyoming. — One 
of the most dreadful events of the 
war took place in the summer of 
1778. A band of Indians, British, 
and Tories made an attack on the 
beautiful valley of Wyoming, in northern Pennsyl- 
vania. They took the fort, which had in it only 
old men, women, and children, and killed them 
all without mercy. The whole settlement was 
destroyed, and few of the inhabitants escaped the 
cruel tomahawk. 

Captain Paul Jones. — One great battle took place on 
the sea. Paul Jones, a brave American captain, sailed 
with a few ships all round the coast of England, and 
kept the whole island in alarm. At length he met a 
British war vessel, the Serapis. His ship was called 
the Bonhomme Richard. The fight that followed 
was one of the most desperate that ever took place 
on the sea. The Bonhomme Richard was set on fire, 
and was so full of cannon-ball holes that it began to 



Anthony Wayne. 




144 THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION 

sink, but Paul Jones fought on. In the end the 
British surrendered. Captain Jones placed his men 
on board the Serapis and sailed away in triumph, 
leaving his own vessel to sink. There was no sur- 
render in Captain Paul 
Jones, and he is looked 

UDon as one of the 

« 

bravest men that ever 
sailed the seas. 

The Treason of 
Arnold.— In 1780 the 
war was nearly all in 
the south. Only one 

The BoNHOMME RiCHAKD AND THE Serapis. . , , i , i 

important event took 
place in the north. Benedict Arnold, an American 
general of great skill and courage, but of a sullen tem- 
per, became angry because he thought that he had not 
been fairly treated, and that other men had received 
the honor which he believed to be due to him. His 
discontent became so great in the end that he 
determined to turn traitor to his country. So he 
asked Washington to give him command of West 
Point, a strong fort on the Hudson River. As soon 
as he got hold of it he laid plans to surrender it to 
the British. 

The Capture of Andre. — Major Andre, a young 
British officer, was sent to consult with him. On his 
way back to New York, in disguise, Andre was taken 
prisoner by some Americans. They searched him, 
and in his stocking they found papers which told 
what his business had been. Arnold escaped in a 
boat to a British war vessel in the river, but he did 



THE WAR FOR INDEPENDENCE 



145 




The Arrest of Andre. 



not succeed in giving the fort to the British. Every 
one felt pity for Major Andre, who was a fine young 
man; but he had been 
taken as a spy, and he 
was hanged as a spy. 

The South Carolina 
Partisans. — During 
1780 and 1781 the war 
was mostly in the 
south. The British 
captured Charleston, 
and soon had all South 
Carolina and Georgia 
in their hands. For a while there was no army 
to fight them; but some brave and bold men — 
Marion, Sumter, and others — got small bodies of 
soldiers together, and gave the British no end of 
trouble. They hid in the swamps, and attacked every 
small body of British soldiers they met. Marion was 
called the "Swamp Fox, " The British thought it was 
very cowardly in him that he would not come out 
into the open field "to fight like an officer and a gentle- 
man." But he fought bravely enough in his own way. 

Generals Greene and Corhwallis. — In 1781, General 
Greene took command of the army in the south. He 
■was a very skilful officer, fought the British at every 
opportunity, and even when he was beaten he managed 
so that they got no good from their victory. At last 
General Cornwallis, who commanded the British army 
in the south, marched north to Virginia. Benedict 
Arnold, the traitor, was there with a British force, 
doing all the damage he could. 

10 



146 THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION 

The Surrender of Cornwallis. — Cornwallis made 
Yorktown his head-quarters. Here he threw up earth- 
works, and waited for help from New York. But a 
French fleet sailed into York River and closed it against 
any British ships that might come from New York. 
Washington, who since 1778 had been watching the 
British in New York, now saw his opportunity, and 
marched south to Yorktown with the greatest speed. 
Very soon Cornwallis found that his army was sur- 
rounded, while cannon-balls were battering his works 
to pieces. He made an attempt to escape, but did not 
succeed, and was forced to surrender. This event 
took place on the 19th of October, 1781. 

The Treaty of Peace. — It was the last event of the 
war. There was no more fighting, and America was 
free. Two years afterwards a treaty of peace was 
signed, in which England acknowledged the freedom 
of America. From that time forward the American 
people took their place among the nations, under the 
title of ''The United States of America,"— a title 
w^hich now belongs to one of the greatest nations 
upon the earth. 

4. THE PEOPLE AND THE COUNTRY. 

The People and Their Ways. — What kind of nation 
was it that was made by the Declaration of Indepen- 
dence? How many people were there, and what were 
their modes of life? That is what we have next to 
consider. At the time of the Revolution, America was 
very different from what it had been a hundred years 
before, and very different from what it became a 
hundred years after. So this is a good resting-point, 



THE PEOPLE AND THE COUNTRY 147 

where we can stop and take a look at the people, 
and see how they lived and what they were doing. 

The Population of America. — We cannot state just 
how many people there were in America at that time, 
but there were more than two millions, possibly two 
and a half millions. This was a small population for 
a country of such size, extending fifteen hundred miles 
along the sea-coast and a considerable distance back 
into the interior. But this territory was very thinly 
settled. Even near the sea-coast the greater part of 
it was a wilderness, mostly covered with forest trees. 
The towns were small and far apart, and the largest 
cities had not more than twenty thousand inhabitants. 
The people in those days thought New York and 
Philadelphia were important cities, but now we would 
look on them as only good-sized country towns. 

The State of the Interior. — Few of the settlements 
extended far back from the sea-coast, or from the 
great rivers. In New York most of the settlers kept 
near to the Hudson; in Pennsylvania they did not 
go far from the Delaware. The back country was yet 
in great part covered by forests, and was the home of 
the Indians and of white hunters, though in places 
there were a good many pioneer settlers. In Virginia 
and the Carolinas the people had gone much farther 
back from the coast. Daniel Boone, a bold and daring 
hunter, had led a party over the inountains into Ken- 
tucky. Some others had gone to Tennessee. But these 
men had to live with rifle in hand, for their lives were 
every minute in danger. Daniel Boone had m.any 
adventures with the Indians, but he escaped all peril 
and lived to be an old man. 



148 THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION 

Whence the People Came. — The people of America 
had come from many countries of Europe. There were 
Germans in Pennsylvania and Dutch in New York. 
Along the Delaware there were Swedes, and in parts 
of the south there were settlements of French and of 
Highlanders from Scotland. There were also many 
from the north of Ireland, known as Scotch-Irish. 
But most of the people were of English descent, and 
the others by degrees took up the language and the 
ways of the English, so that in time all these unlike 
people grew together into one nation. 

The Farming Population. — Most of the people of 
America were farmers. In those days there were none 
of the great factories and workshops which we now 
see almost everywhere. The soil was rich and gave 
plentiful crops,' and there might be seen fine farm- 
houses, large barns full of corn, wheat, and hay, and 
great flocks of sheep and cattle in the fields. New 
England and the Middle Colonies were famous for 
sheep and corn. 

Home Work. — Nearly everything was done at home. 
While the men worked in the fields, the women spun 
wool and flax and made most of the clothing for the 
family. This was known as homespun cloth. The 
farmer had to be a mechanic also. He made most of 
the things he used. Even the nails he needed were 
hammered out by him during the winter. The children 
were kept busy, too, though there were schools where 
they could get some little education. 

Agriculture of the South. — In the south agriculture 
was the principal business of the people. Here the 
land was divided into great plantations, and large 



THE PEOPLE AND THE COUNTRY 



149 



crops of tobacco, rice, sugar, etc., were raised. Much 
tar and pitch were made in North Carohna. These 
were sent to Europe and sold or exchanged for other 
goods, and the people of that section grew rich. We 
have already told how the planters and their slaves 
lived on these great plantations. 




Spinning-Wheel, Reel, and Bed-Warmer. 

New England Commerce. — But the people of America 
were not all farmers. Many of them built ships and 
engaged in commerce. Long before the war the cities 
of Boston, New York, and Philadelphia had a large 
trade. Man}^ ships came and went between these 
cities and England, and some went to France and 
Spain to bring back cargoes of wine and silks. This 
was against the English law, but the people thought 
this law unjust and did not hesitate to break it. Ves- 



150 



THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION 



sels were built in Boston and sent to the West Indies, 
where they were traded off for rum and sugar, for which 
articles there was much demand in those days. Many 
more were sent to England and sold there. As early 
as 1763, New England owned a thousand trading ships, 
besides the vessels of the hardy fishermen of the coast. 
Many of these ships were sent in search of whales, 
which were then far more plentiful than now. 




Flax-Brake. 



Manufacturing Industry. — There was not much 
manufacturing done in America. The laws of Eng- 
land had forbidden the people to make goods for 
themselves. They were watched closely, yet they 
managed to make some things. In New England there 
were a few mills for working iron. Hats were made 
of furs. In Pennsylvania very good leather was made. 
But the merchants of England did all they could 



THE PEOPLE AND THE COUNTRY 



151 



to put a stop to this, and to make the Americans 
buy everything from them. 

Of course they had to build their own houses, and 
to do many things which could not be done for them 
across the ocean. And after the Revolution they 
quickly began to do many other things for themselves, 
so that the commerce and manufactures of America 
increased very rapidly. There were several newspapers 
printed, but they were very small compared with those 




Stage-Coach from Baltimore to Washington. 

we see to-day. The first newspaper in America was 
The News Letter, which was started in Boston in 1704. 
In 1775 each of the cities of Boston, New York, and 
Philadelphia had four newspapers. 

Cities and Travel. — Not much can be said for the 
cities of that period. Many of the great cities of to-day 
were then villages, or their sites were forest land. 
Boston had less than eighteen thousand people, New 



152 THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION 

York over twenty thousand, and Philadelphia over 
thirty thousand. Baltimore and Charleston were 
much the largest cities in the south, their- popula- 
tions being from twelve to fifteen thousand each. 

To travel from city to city was no easy task. There 
were some good roads in the north, but in the south 
the roads were very poor. In winter and spring most 
of the roads were little more than a series of mud-holes. 
The fastest stage-coach between New York and 
Philadelphia took two days for the trip, and it was a 
long and tiresome journey from Boston to New York. 
Therefore the people of the different colonies had very 
little to do with one another. There is more travel in 
a day now than there was in a year then. 

The Condition of the Cities. — There were some hand- 
some houses in the cities, but not many. In New York 
trees were planted before the houses, and there were 
railings on the roofs, so that people could sit there on 
summer evenings to enjoy the cool air. There were 
lamps in the streets. Broadway was thought a splen- 
did avenue, though it was not very long and soon 
ended in the open country. 

Philadelphia was then the most important city in the 
country. It had been laid out by William Penn with 
broad and regular streets, while those of New York 
and Boston were crooked and narrow. Yet, much as 
it was spoken of in that day, it was a more dwarf of 
a city compared with the present Philadelphia, and 
extended but a short distance back from the banks of 
the Delaware. 

Equality and Habits of the People. — There were no 
men of great riches in those days. Very few men in 



THE PEOPLE AND THE COUNTRY 153 

the country had ten thousand dollars a year to spend. 
Most of the people were nearly equal in wealth. There 
was little poverty and little riches. The people were 
simple in their manners, and did not live expensively. 
One of their worst faults was their fondness for liquor. 
They drank much more than people do now, and 
drunkenness was very common. 

Extent of the United States. — The country which the 
people had won for themselves by their hard fight with 
England was much smaller than the United States 
of our present maps. Canada was held by England. 
Its people had shown no wish to be free. In the south, 
Florida belonged to Spain; but Florida then reached 
farther north than it does now, and had a strip of 
land fifty miles wide extending along the Gulf of 
Mexico to the Mississippi River, so that it cut off the 
United States from the Gulf. And all the vast country 
that laj' west of this river belonged to Spain. The 
United States of that day lay between the Mississippi 
River on the west and the Atlantic Ocean on the east, 
and between Canada on the north and Florida on the 
south. It was a great country then. It has grown to 
be a much greater country since. 

The States of the Union. — -This country was divided 
into thirteen States. These were the same as the 
States which now lie along or near the Atlantic, except 
Maine and Vermont, which did not become States 
till afterwards, and Florida, which was added much 
later. They were called the United States of America, 
but they were not very closely united. Each of them 
was almost like a separate nation, for Congress had 
very little power over them. They sent some of their 



154 THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION 

wisest men to Philadelphia to form part of the Congress 
which met there, but they did not give them much 
power or authority. They had to gain their freedom 
first. There would be time enough afterwards to form 
a strong nation out of the several colonies. 



PART IV.— QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION. 

1. In what ways were the Americans ill used by the English? 
What laws were passed about their trade? What was done about 
American ships? Were Americans allowed to make goods for them- 
selves? What did the English want them to do? Did the Americans 
obey the new laws? What law was passed to stop smuggling? Why 
did the English government wish to tax the Americans? What reply 
did the Americans make? What was the character of the Stamp 
Act? What did Patrick Henry declare? How did the people 
receive the Stamp Act? Who was sent to London to get the Stamp 
Act repealed? What was done to make the people pay the taxes? 
Why were soldiers sent to Boston? What is meant by the "Boston 
Massacre "? Why were the Americans not willing to pay the tax 
on tea? What was done at Boston? What was the Boston Port 
Bill? When and where did the '' First Continental Congress " meet? 
What action did it take? 

2. What was the population of the colonies at the time of the 
disputes with England? What had England done in ten years? 
What city was the centre of the rebellious feeling? Where had the 
people collected stores? Describe Paul Revere's ride. AVhat did 
the soldiers do at Lexington? WTiat was done at Concord? De- 
scribe the retreat from Concord. How did the people of New England 
receive the news of this fight? What did Ethan Allen and the 
Green Mountain Boys do? Where did the Americans seek to build 
a fort? Describe the Bunker Hill battle. When did the Second 
Continental Congress meet? Who was made commander-in-chief 
of the army? How were the British forced to leave Boston? What 
did the Americans attempt in Canada, and with what result? What 
city was attacked by the British fleet? Describe Sergeant Jasper's 



QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION 155 

brave action. What was the purpose of the colonists in the war? 
What member of Congress first declared that the colonies ought 
to be free? Who wrote the Declaration of Independence? When 
was it adopted? What effect did it have on the people? 

3. What did the Declaration of Independence signify to the 
people? Why is the 4th of July kept as a national hohday? What 
happened at New York? Describe Washington's retreat. How 
did the people feel? What did Washington do on Christmas Eve, 
1776? What took place at Trenton? At Princeton? What was 
the effect of these victories in America and Europe? Where did 
the British sail to in 1777? What was the effect of the battle of 
the BrandyvNane? WTiere did Washington's army pass the winter? 
What condition were the men in? What other expedition did the 
British attempt? Describe the battle of Bennington. What sort 
of a trap did Burgoyne fall into? Where and when did he surrender 
his army? What country made a treaty with America in 1778? 
What did the English now offer to do? How did the Americans 
receive their offer? What did the British army in Philadelphia do 
in 1778 and with what result? What fort did Anthony Wayne 
attack? What happened in the valley of Wyoming? Describe 
the great exploit of Captain Paul Jones. Where did the fighting 
take place in 1780? What did General Arnold seek to do? What 
happened to Major Andre? 'What southern city did the British 
capture? What leaders fought them in South Carolina? Who 
took command of the southern army in 1781? Who commanded 
the British army? What success did General Greene have? Where 
did Cornwallis go? What happened to the army of Cornwallis? 
Was there any more fighting? When was the treaty of peace 
signed? What was the new nation named? 

4. What was the population of America after the Revolution? 
How large was the country? How thickly was it settled? ^Vhat 
was the size of the largest cities? Where did the settlers mostly 
hve? What was the condition of the interior? "What was the state 
of the southern population? What great hunter had gone to Ken- 
tucky? ^\^lat was the character of his life there? From what 
countries had the people of America come? In what business were 
most of them engaged? What crops were raised? What did the 
women do? What was raised in the south? Describe the shipping 



156 THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION 

trade of the colonies. How many ships had New England in 1763? 
What were these used for? Was there much manufacturing? What 
things were made? What was the name of the first newspaper? 
How many newspapers were there in the princijial cities in 1775? 
Tell the sizes of the different cities. What is said about travelling? 
What kind of a city was New York? What was Philadelphia like? 
What was the condition of the people? What bad habit had they? 
"WTiat was the extent of the United States? What were its boun- 
daries? How many States were there? W^ere they closely united? 
Did Congress then have much power? 



PART V. 

THE FIRST HALF CENTURY OF THE REPUBLIC. 



1. THE MAKING OF THE GOVERNMENT. 

A Time of Distress. — At the end of the Revolution 
the people of America were in a condition of poverty 
and misery. Business was at a stand-still, there was 
very little money, and not much of anything else useful. 
The country owed a great debt and had little to pay 
it with. The paper money with which the soldiers 
had been paid had lost its value, and nobody would 
take it for goods. The people were very poor, with 
their farms ruined and many of their towns destroyed. 
Some of them were so desperate that they declared 
they would pay no debts or taxes. Two thousand 
such men in Massachusetts, led by a man named 
Daniel Shays, marched out with their arms and defied 
the government. The State had some trouble to make 
them submit. 

Yet this distress could not long continue. The 
country needed only a little time to be all right again. 
It still had its soil, its mines, its ships, and its indus- 
trious inhabitants, and these were enough to make 
any country rich. England could no longer tell the 
people where they should trade or what they should 
make, or order them to pay taxes to support her 
government. They were free now to work for and 
to govern themselves, and this was worth all it 
had cost. 

157 



158 



FIRST HALF CENTURY OF THE REPUBLIC 




The Patriotism of Washington. — Washington was 
looked upon by every one as the great man of the 
country. The soldiers almost worshipped him. He 
could not go anywhere without crowds gathering to 
see him. He might have made himself a king if he 
had done what some of his friends wished. But he was 
too great a lover of his country for that, and would 
not take from America the liberty which he had done 
so much to gain for it. He went back to his home at 
Mount Vernon, in Virginia and became a simple 
farmer again. This was a noble act. 
Few men in Washington's position 
would have given up the power 
which was in his hands. All the 
world has praised him since as one 
of the greatest of patriots. 

The Condition of the Country. — 
There was one work of great im- 
portance to be done before the 
country could prosper. Congress 
had scarcely any power. It was 
made up of delegates from the States, but these 
States kept most of the power in their own hands. 
Congress could pass laws, but the States need not 
obey them unless they chose. Each State soon began 
to act as if it was an independent nation. Money was 
asked for by Congress to pay the interest on the debt, 
but very little of it was given, and hardly anything 
was done for the support of the government. A change 
of some kind had to be made, or the Union of the 
States would be broken, and there would be thirteen 
nations instead of one. 



Washington. 



THE MAKING OF THE GOVERNMENT 



159 



The Constitutional Convention. — This was seen by all 
the wise men of the country, — by Washington, Hamil- 
ton, Franklin, and others, — and steps were taken for a 
convention of delegates, which met at Philadelphia, in 
May, 1787, to try and form a stronger government. 
Among these delegates were many learned and able 
men. For four months they talked over the condition of 
the country, and con- 
sidered what had best 
be done, and at the end 
of that time they had 
formed a plan of govern- 
ment very well suited to 
the needs of the country. 
This plan is what we 
have in the Constitution 
of the United States, 
that great document 
which forms the foun- 
dation of our govern- 
ment, and which has 
done so much to make 
the United States a great and powerful nation. 

The New Government. — When the Convention had 
finished its work, what had it done? Let us see. 
There were still thirteen States, each of which had the 
right to take care of its own affairs; but they were now 
combined under one general government, which had 
much power given to it. This government had the 
right to form an army and navy for its defence, to 
make treaties with other nations, and to declare war 
if necessary. 




Carpenters' Hall, Philadelphia, Where 
THE First Continental Congress Met. 



160 FIRST HALF CENTURY OF THE REPUBLIC 

It could coin the money of the country, manage the 
post-offices, lay taxes on the people, regulate com- 
merce with foreign countries, and make laws for the 
good of the whole nation. No State had any longer 
the power to do these things for itself, though each 
could make laws for its own people if they did not 
interfere with" the rights of the people of any other 
State or of the government of the United States. 

The Legislative Body.— The new government was to 
consist of three bodies; one to make the laws, one to de- 
cide if they agreed with the Constitution, and one to 
see that they were put into effect. The first of these — 
the law-making body — is called the Congress of the 
United States. It is divided into two parts, — the 
House of Representatives, whose members are elected 
by the people, and the Senate whose members are 
elected by the State governments. The first of these 
is expected to look after the good of the whole people; 
the second, to attend to the interests of the States. But 
the interests of the people and of the States are very 
much the same, and there is little difference between the 
duties of the Senate and the House of Representatives. 

The Supreme Court. — The second body of the gov- 
ernment is called the Supreme Court. It is made up 
of a number of learned judges, whose duty it is to 
examine, if necessary, all the laws passed in the 
country, and decide if they agree with the Constitu- 
tion. If they do not agree they cease to be laws. 
Every law, either of Congress or of the States, must 
agree with the Constitution of the United States. 

The Powers of the President. — The third body of the 
government consists of a President, with a Vice- 



WASHINGTON'S ADMINISTRATION 161 

President to take his place if he should die, and cer- 
tain officers known as cabinet officers, with whom he 
can consult. It is the duty of the President to execute, 
or put into force, the laws passed by Congress. If he 
docs not approve of these acts of Congress he can veto 
them, or refuse to sign them. They cannot become 
laws if he does not sign them, unless two-thirds of the 
members of Congress vote for them again. The Presi- 
dent takes the place of the kings and emperors of 
foreign countries, but he has less power than some of 
them. He can only carry out the laws. He has nothing 
to do with making them, except that he need not 
approve any law which he does not think a good one. 

2. WASHINGTON'S ADMINISTRATION. 

From 1789 to 1797. 

Washington as President. — As soon as the Constitu- 
tion was formed and adopted by the States a Presi- 
dent had to be chosen. Washington was the only 
man thought of for this high office. He became Presi- 
dent in 1789. It was decided that New York should 
be the seat of government, and Congress was asked to 
meet there on the 4th of March of that year. But 
travel was so difficult that the members did not all 
get there until April 30, on which date Washington 
was inaugurated as President. The next year the seat 
of government was removed to Philadelphia. 

The Work of the Government. — There was much to 
be done. There was a heavy debt to be paid, many 
laws to be passed, courts to be set up, taxes to be 
assessed, and the people had to gain confidence in the 
government before business could go on properly. 
11 



162 FIRST HALF CENTURY OF THE REPUBLIC 

All this was clone, everybody went to work, and it was 
not long before America was richer and happier than 
it had ever been before. 

There were troubles, it is true. A tax had been 
laid on whiskey, and a mob in western Pennsylvania 
refused to pay it. But Washington called out an 
army, and taught these people that the government 
intended to carry out its laws. There were difficulties 
also with England, Spain, and France, but they were 
all settled without going to war. 

The Seat of Government. — Washington was President 
for eight years. The seat of government was removed 
from New York to Philadelphia in 1790, and in 1800 
to the new city of Washington, which has since then 
grown to be one of the most beautiful of cities. 

Affairs in the West. — The people of the old States 
were now moving rapidly to the west. They no longer 
felt it necessary to keep near to the sea-coast, and they 
drove back the Indians as they went, and settled in 
the country west of the mountains. Vermont, Ken- 
tucky, and Tennessee soon became States. The set- 
tlers in Ohio had great trouble with the Indians, and 
much fighting took place; but the hostile tribes were 
at last defeated by General Wayne, and after that they 
continued peaceful for many years. 

3. JOHN ADAMS'S ADMINISTRATION. 

From 1797 to 1801. 

Adams Elected President. — In 1796 Washington, who 
had been President for eight years, declined to be a 
candidate for a third term, and John Adams, who had 
been Vice-President under him, was elected President. 



JOHN ADAMS'S ADMINISTRATION 163 

Thomas Jefferson was elected Vice-President, and they 
were inaugurated into their high offices on March 4, 1797. 

A Period of Prosperity. — It was a time of prosperity. 
The state of the country was very different from 
what it had been ten years before. Much of the debt 
of that time had been paid off and the people were 
quite willing to let the rest stand and accept interest 
for it. Duties had been laid on goods imported into 
the country and these supplied money enough for all 
the needs of the government and some over towards 
paying the debt. 

Business also was growing better, and workshops 
were being started in which goods could be made at 
home, instead of having to be bought abroad. The 
Indians were quiet and the people had become con- 
tented. In the south a great business in cotton rais- 
ing had begun, for the cotton gin, by the use of which 
cotton could be produced very cheaply, had been 
invented a few years before. 

Political Parties.— The people had now become 
divided into two political parties, the Republican and 
the Federalist, the former in favor of greater rights to 
the States, the latter in favor of a strong central 
government. Thomas Jefferson was the leader of the 
Republicans, or the Democrats as they were called 
in later years. 

Hostile Relations with France. — At that time a great 
revolution was going on in France. The people had 
risen against the king and his nobles and had cut off 
the head of their king. The new French government was 
very angry with the Americans for electing Adams Presi- 
dent, instead of Jefferson, who was friendly towards 



164 FIRST HALF CENTURY OF THE REPUBLIC 

them. They therefore ordered the American minister 
to leave the country and began a kind of war by send- 
ing out cruisers to capture American vessels, of which 
hundreds were taken. 

A Naval Warfare.— This was more than the Ameri- 
can government was ready to bear, and its naval 
vessels were ordered to attack the French war-ships. 
After two of these had been captured, the French 
found that others could fight besides themselves, and 
asked for peace. As America did not want war, but 
only wished to protect its merchant ships, a treaty 
was made and the naval war came to an end. 

The Death of Washington. — In December, 1799, 
died George Washington, the great American hero. 
He had got wet in a storm and a severe cold came on. 
From this a fever came and on the night of December 
14 the noble patriot passed away. He was justly 
entitled: "First in war, first in peace, and first in the 
hearts of his countrymen," and the whole country 
joined in pajdng honor to his memory. His home 
and tomb at Mount Vernon, near the city of Wash- 
ington, are places which Americans are glad to visit, 
for he is looked upon as our greatest man. 

4. JEFFERSON'S ADMINISTRATION. 

From 1801 to 1809. 

The Election of Jefferson. — In 1800 Thomas Jeffer- 
son, the writer of the Declaration of Independence 
and the leader of the Republican party, was elected 
President, and took his seat on March 4, 1801. During 
the preceding ten years Philadelphia had been the 
capital of the United States, but now a new city on 



JEFFERSON'S ADMINISTRATION 



165 



the Potomac River, named Washington, was made 
the capital. It has been the capital ever since and has 
now grown into a large and very handsome city. 

Louisiana Purchased. — At this time the United 
States was bounded on the west by the Mississippi 
River. On the other side of that river was a great 
region reaching to the Rocky Mountains and inhabited 




The Capitol at Washington. 

only by Indians. It had been claimed by France up to 
1763, when it was given over to Spain. In 1800 France 
got possession of it again. But Napoleon, the great 
French conqueror, was then at war with England, 
and was afraid that Louisiana, as this country was 
called, would be taken from him, so in 1803 he sold it 
to the United States for fifteen million dollars. After 
that time the United States extended from the Atlantic 
Ocean to the Rocky Mountains, and the land thus 



166 FIRST HALF CENTURY OF THE REPUBLIC 

bought by Jefferson has since then increased wonder- 
fully in value. 

War with Tripoli. — About this time war broke out 
with Tripoli, a country in the north of Africa. The 
people of that country were not civilized, and many of 
them were pirates, who spent their time in capturing 
the vessels of other nations. Merchant ships and their 
cargoes were taken by the pirates and all on board 
were sold as slaves. Some of the nations of Europe 
paid the Tripolitans to let their ships alone. The United 
States did this too for a while, but when Jefferson 
became President he decided that this payment must 
stop. So a fleet of war vessels was sent out to punish 
the pirates of the Mediterranean. 

The Loss of the Philadelphia. — One of these war- 
ships, the Philadelphia, ran aground and was seized 
by the Tripolitans. A brave young officer. Lieutenant 
Decatur, determined that they should not keep her; 
so he sailed into the harbor in a little vessel with some 
American sailors, most of whom were hidden from 
sight. The people on the frigate thought it was one 
of their own vessels, till it ran against the Philadel- 
phia, when the sailors sprang on board, attacked the 
pirates, drove them into the sea, and set the frigate on 
fire, as there was no time to get her under sail. Then 
the gallant Decatur sailed away without heed to the 
cannon-balls which the forts were firing at him. After 
four years of war the ruler of Tripoli was glad to agree 
to let the merchant vessels of the United States alone. 

Interference with American Commerce. — The people 
of Tripoli were not the only ones that interfered with 
American commerce. England and France were then 



MADISON'S ADMINISTRATION 167 

at war and England wanted all the sailors she could 
get for her war-ships. So she claimed the right to stop 
any vessel at sea and take from it any man who had 
been born in England. A good many were thus taken 
who had never seen England, but were born in Amer- 
ica. And each of these countries also said that no 
foreign ships should carry goods to the other, and they 
seized every merchant ship they found engaged in this 
trade. In this way many American ships were taken 
and our merchants were robbed of millions of dollars. 
The Embargo Act. — To put a stop to this state of 
affairs Congress passed what was called the Embargo 
Act, which forbade any American ship to leave port 
with goods for foreign countries. It was thought that 
this would so injure France and England, who needed 
American goods, that they would consent to let our 
vessels alone. It did injure them, but it injured the 
United States still more. No ocean business at all was 
done and there was so much distress in consequence 
that the law had to be repealed. A Non-Intercourse 
Act was then passed which gave our merchants rights 
to trade with all countries but England and France. 

5. MADISON'S ADMINISTRATION. 

From 1809 to 1817. 

James Madison made President. — Jefferson was Pres- 
ident for eight years, then James Madison, an able and 
active statesman, was elected to take his place. But 
he was a man who was not fond of war, and it looked as 
if war would soon come. British and French war- 
vessels were everywhere on the ocean and no American 
merchant ship was safe. And the British war-vessels 



168 FIRST HALF CENTURY OF THE REPUBLIC 

kept on taking sailors from American ships. It is said 
that in all more than six thousand men were thus 
taken, and that between 1803 and 1812 more than nine 
hundred American vessels were seized by British 
cruisers. All over the country went up the war-cry of 
"Free trade and sailor's rights." No country could 
bear being treated in this way, and war could not long 
be avoided, though President Madison wished to pre- 
vent it. 

Indian Hostilities. — In 1811 an Indian war broke 
out. A famous chief named Tecumseh tried to com- 
bine all the tribes against the whites. General Harri- 
son was sent against them, and when his camp near 
the Tippecanoe River was attacked at night he de- 
feated and killed many of the savage warriors. This 
made the people more angry still against England, 
for they believed that British agents from Canada had 
stirred up the Indians to this war. 

The Country Unprepared. — The United States was 
not at all prepared to go to war. Its army was small, 
its soldiers were not trained, it had no generals who 
had ever been on a battle field, except against the 
Indians. And its navy was very poor, there being 
only twelve vessels against a thousand in the British 
navy, more than a hundred of them being large and 
powerful ships. But when people feel that they have 
been wronged and insulted they do not stop to think 
of all these things, and on June 18, 1812, Congress 
declared war against Great Britain. 



THE WAR WITH GREAT BRITAIN 



169 



6. THE WAR WITH GREAT BRITAIN. 

The Seat of War. — The war continued for nearly 
three years. It was fought in America and on the 
ocean. The United States could not send soldiers to 
England, but north of this country lay Canada, which 
belonged to England, and an effort was made to take 
possession of this country, which would have been a 
great loss to the enemy. Thus the greater part of the 
land war took place along the border line between the 
United States and Canada. 

On Lake Erie. — For over a year armies were sent 
into Canada, but nothing was gained, while the British 




Perry's Fleet on Lake Erie. 



got possession of Michigan, and Ohio was in danger. 
There was a British fleet on Lake Erie, and it was 
feared that it would be used to land soldiers on the 
American shores of that lake. An active young officer, 
Captain Oliver Perry, was sent to Lake Erie to see 
what could be done to prevent this. He at once went 



170 FIRST HALF CENTURY OF THE REPUBLIC 

to work to cut down trees, hew them into shape and 
build ships. In a short time he had a fleet of small 
vessels, and sailed out to meet the British ships. 

Perry's Victory. — The two fleets met on the 10th of 
September, 1813. A fierce battle followed, in which 
both sides fought with great courage, but the British 
were beaten and forced to surrender. During the 
fight the ship which Captain Perry commanded was 
shot so full of holes that it was ready to sink. So the 
gallant young officer took his flag and rowed in an 
open boat to another ship. The British vessels fired at 
him as he went, but he escaped unharmed. After the 
victory he sent to General Harrison this brief dis- 
patch: "We have met the enemy, and they are ours." 

American Victories. — As soon as General Harrison 
received this dispatch he marched towards the enemy, 
and came up with them on the River Thames, in 
Canada. Here the British were defeated and most of 
them taken prisoners, while Tecumseh, the celebrated 
Indian chief, was killed. This victory drove the 
British out of Michigan. The next year General Win- 
field Scott won two victories in Canada, and in the 
same year there was a naval battle on Lake Cham- 
plain, where the English had a strong fleet. Com- 
modore McDonough commanded the American fleet 
and gained a complete victory. After that the British 
made no effort to invade the United States from 
Canada, while the Americans did not again invade 
Canada. 

The Work of the Navy. — It was on the ocean that 
the Americans showed their best fighting powers. They 
were victorious in nearl}- every engagement. The first 



THE WAR WITH GREAT BRITAIN 171 

battle was between the American ship Constitution 
and the British ship Guerriere. They fought for two 
hours, at the end of which time the Guerriere was so 
full of cannon-ball holes that she was sinking and had 
to surrender. 

This victory made a great sensation in Europe and 
America. The British had long been masters of the 
ocean, and it was thought their ships could not be 
beaten. Before the end of the war American ships 
had gained many other brilliant victories over the war 
vessels of Great Britain. They had shown to the world 
that England was no longer ''mistress of the seas." 
All Europe was surprised to see the little American 
fleet doing such wonderful work. 

The Burning of Washington. — In 1814 the British 
army did a disgraceful thing. There was a fleet which 
had done much damage along the coast, and this 
sailed up Chesapeake Bay and landed an army which 
marched on Washington. The city was very poorly 
defended, and the British took possession of it. They 
burned the Capitol and other public buildings, and 
many private houses, and then marched out again. 
This has always been looked on as a shameful act. 
The same fleet made an attack on Baltimore, but was 
driven off. 

Jackson at New Orleans. — The next effort of the 
British was made against the city of New Orleans. A 
strong army was landed and marched to attack that 
city, which was defended by a few Americans. But 
there was a brave and skilful officer. General Andrew 
Jackson, and he soon raised himself an army. He had 
been fighting with the Creek Indians in Alabama, who 



172 



FIRST HALF CENTURY OF THE REPUBLIC 



had made war on the whites. These savages he com- 
pletely defeated. "When he saw what the British 
intended he collected all the men he could. Most of 
them had never seen a battle, but they all knew how 
to use a rifle, and many of them were old hunters and 
skilful marksmen. 

A Hard=Fought Battle. — Both armies built breast- 
works. Those of the British were made of sugar hoojs- 




Battle of New Orleans. 

heads, and those of the Americans of cotton bales. But 
these were soon battered down and set on fire by the 
cannon-shot, and then Jackson built earthworks out of 
the black mud of the river. For some time they fought 
at a distance with cannon, and then the British deter- 
mined to take the American works by storm. They had 
a large army of veteran soldiers, while the Americans 
were militia; but these backwoods riflemen wasted no 
bullets. Every time that a rifle was fired an enemy fell; 
and the men were well protected by their mud walls. 



THE WAR WITH GREAT BRITAIN 173 

The British Defeated. — On the 8th of January, 1815, 
the British advanced to the attack. They came on 
boldly, but could not stand the terrible fire of the 
American riflemen and soon were forced to retreat. 
Again they advanced, and once more the}^ fell dead by 
hundreds. This was enough. The battle had lasted 
only half an hour when the British army was in full 
retreat, having lost its commander. General Paken- 
ham, and more than two thousand men, while only 
eight of the Americans were killed. 

The Treaty of Peace. — The war was at an end before 
this battle was fought, though the armies at New 
Orleans did not know it. A treaty of peace had been 
signed; but those were not the days of railroads and 
telegraphs, and it took as many weeks as it does sec- 
onds now to get news from New York to New Orleans. 
So those two thousand men lost their lives for nothing. 

The Necessity for Peace. — The war did not end any 
too soon. There was nothing to fight for any longer, 
and America was greatly suffering. England had 
ended the war which had been kept up for many years 
with France and wanted no more sailors or goods 
from American ships. There was an immense army, a 
great fleet and abundance of money to use against 
this country, which was poor, and in debt. Its trade 
was gone, and heavy taxes were laid on its people. 
Some of the States refused to supply any more men 
and money for a war which there was no longer any 
use for. So a treaty of peace was made with the 
English government. 

Industry Re=Established. — When the news of the 
treaty reached America the whole country was glad. 



174 FIRST HALF CENTURY OF THE REPUBLIC 

"Peace! peace!" was the shout in the streets. Some 
of the cities were illuminated. At once business started 
up. Before night of that day shipwrights were at 
work on the merchant ships, making them ready for 
sea. Sailors were engaged, cargoes loaded, and very 
soon American sails were spread again upon the seas, 
while at home the joyful soldiers dropped the sword 
and the musket and seized the plough-handle and the 
hammer, and the cheerful sounds of industry were 
heard once more throughout the land. 

The Barbary States. — After the war affairs in Amer- 
ica went on very quietly for many years. There was 
some more trouble with the pirates of Northern Africa, 
who again interfered with American commerce. But 
Commodore Decatur, the brave soldier who had burnt 
the Philadelphia, went out with a fleet and very soon 
frightened the piratical states. These were the coun- 
tries of Algiers, Tunis, and Tripoli, known as the 
Barbary States. They have never interfered with 
American vessels since that time. 

Business Activity. — Business grew active again as 
soon as the war was at an end. The farmers sold their 
crops for good prices, the ships found plenty to do, 
and all the people were busy except the mechanics. 
During the war many factories had been built in 
America, but after the treaty of peace English goods 
were sent to this country in great quantities, and sold 
so low that the American factories had to sell at a 
loss or stop working. This set people to talking about 
a tariff, or a tax on foreign goods, so that they could 
not be sold lower than American goods. 



MONROE'S ADMINISTRATION 175 



7. MONROE'S ADMINISTRATION. 

From 1817 to 1825. 

The Era of Good Feeling. — In 1816 James Monroe, a 
statesman of Virginia, was elected President, and held 
the ofRce for the eight years from 1817 to 1825. After 
the war the political feeling in America had died away, 
and soon there was but one political party. People 
ceased to vote for the old Federal party, and only the 
party which had been known as the Democratic- 
Republican was left. This party was afterwards gen- 
erally called the Democratic. The period that followed 
has been called "the era of good feel- 
ing," because the people all thought 
much the same way in politics, and 
there were no political disputes. 

Florida Invaded.— While Monroe was 
President there were some troubles 
with the Indians of Florida, and these 
led to important results. Florida still 
belonged to Spain, and the Spaniards 

1 oi • 1 T !• James Monroe. 

stirred up the Seminole Indians to 
make attacks on the people of Georgia and Alabama. 
General Jackson then commanded the army in the 
South. He was of a hasty temper, and he quickly 
marched his men into Florida and took possession of 
the Spanish town of Pensacola. He also hung two 
Englishmen who, he said, led the Indians. 

Jackson was blamed for this, but Spain saw that she 
could not keep Florida, so she asked the United States 
to buy it. The price asked for it was five million 
dollars, which was much less than a war would have 




176 FIRST HALF CENTURY OF THE REPUBLIC 

cost. The United States was quite willing to pay this 
sum, and became owner of Florida in 1S21. 

New States Admitted. — The country along the Missis- 
sippi was now filling up with people, and seven new 
States were formed between 1812 and 1821. These 
were Louisiana, Indiana, Mississippi, Illinois, Alabama, 
Maine, and Missouri. Ohio had become a State in 1802. 
These, with the thirteen original States, and Vermont, 
Tennessee, and Kentucky, which had been admitted 
before 1800, made the total number twenty-four. 

The Slavery Question. — There was a dispute in Con- 
gress when Missouri asked to be made a State. This 
dispute was on the question of slavery. As this was to 
become a very important question in later years we 
must say something about it here. In the early days 
of America there were slaves in all the colonies; but 
in 1820 very few slaves were left in the States north 
of Virginia. They were still kept in the south on 
account of their use in the cotton, rice, and tobacco 
plantations; but a law had been passed in 1787 pro- 
viding that there should be no slaves in the territory 
north of the Ohio River. 

The Missouri Compromise. — When Missouri asked to 
be made a State there were many slaves there already, 
and a debate arose whether it should be a slave or a 
free State. This was settled by what is called ''The 
Missouri Compromise." A law was passed which said 
that Missouri might come into the Union as a slave 
State, but that there should be no more slave States 
in the Western country north of the latitude of the 
southern boundary of Missouri. This settled all 
trouble about slave States for twenty-five years. 



MONROE'S ADMINISTRATION 177 

The Monroe Doctrine. — At that time the Spanish 
colonies of America were fighting for freedom and 
most of them had won their liberty. Some of the 
nations of Europe now proposed to help Spain win 
them back, hoping to be able to get part of them for 
themselves. In 1823 President Monroe sent a message 
to Congress in which he said that the United States 
would not approve of any new colonies being formed in 
America, and would not consent to any foreign power 
taking possession of or invading those new nations. 
This is known as the ''Monroe Doctrine." It is still 
an important part of the American policy and has 
gone far to keep America for the Americans. 

Internal Improvement. — As the country was filling 
up so fast with people, something had to be clone to 
make it easier to travel and carry goods from one place 
to another. There were steamboats on the rivers, but 
there were no railroads, and the carriage roads were 
very bad. So Congress began to make good roads in 
different directions. Canal's were also made to carry 
goods cheaply. The greatest of these was the Erie Canal 
of New York. This was begun in 1817 and finished in 
1825. It runs across the State, from Albany to Buffalo, 
a distance of three hundred and sixty-three miles, and 
is of great use in bringing goods and grain from the 
West to the Hudson River and New York City. 

The Tariff Question. — Another great question arose 
in Congress during this period. This was about a 
tariff on foreign goods. Americans were trying to 
start factories and workshops and to make articles 
for their own use; but they had to pay high wages to 
mechanics, and found that they could not sell as low 

12 



178 FIRST HALF CENTURY OF THE REPUBLIC 

as the English. A law was passed in 1816 laying a tax 
or duty on manufactured foreign goods, to protect 
the American makers from foreign competition. It 
proved very useful, and the workshops of America 
quickly became busy, and have continued so from that 
time to the present. But the question of the tariff 
has never been settled to please all parties, and it is 
one of the great political questions of the present day. 

8. THE JOHN QUINX'Y ADAMS ADMINISTRATION. 

From 1825 to 1829. 

Whigs and Democrats. — In 1«824 John Quincy 
Adams was elected President by the party which had 
been known by the two names of Republican and 
Democratic. There was no other party at that time, 
for the Republican party which we now have was not 
formed till long afterwards. But w^hile Adams was 
President the one party became divided into two, 
which were afterwards known as the Democratic and 
the Whig parties. It w^as the tariff and some other 
questions that divided the old party. The Whigs were 
in favor of high tariff and the Democrats of low tariff. 
The Whigs were strongest in the north, where there 
were thg, most factories, and the Democrats in the 
south, where low-priced goods were wanted. Thus the 
"Era of Good Feeling" was brought to an end. 

A Higher Tariff. — One of the principal things done by 
Congress in the new administration was to pass a tariff 
which laid much higher duties on several kinds of goods, 
it was bitterly opposed in the South, where low duties 
were desired, and its enemies called it the ''tariff of 
abominations." It led to much trouble a few years later. 



THE PROGRESS OF THE COUNTRY 179 

The Creek Indians Removed. — Another important 
event was the removal of the Creek Indians of Georgia 
from their old home to a tract of land west of the 
Mississippi River, known as the Indian Territory. 
They earnestly objected to this but they were forced 
to go, and at a later date the Cherokee Indians were 
also removed. This is one example of the injustice 
with which the native inhabitants of our country have 
been treated. 

The Cause of Temperance. — The drinking of intoxi- 
cating liquor had become so great an evil that a 
strong feeling was aroused against it at this time. 
Drunkenness had grown so common that it affected 
all classes of society, the rich and poor alike. The 
first successful temperance society was founded in 
1826, and in the j^ears that followed thousands of 
people took the pledge not to drink liquors of any 
kind. Though this did not do away with drunken- 
ness in this country, it has never since been so bad and 
it is steadily becoming less of an evil. 

The Election of 1828.— In 1828 John Quincy Adams 
and Andrew Jackson were the candidates for the 
Presidency. Jackson was a popular military hero, 
while Adams was not very well liked, the result being 
that Jackson was elected by a large majority. John C 
Calhoun, of South Carolina, was elected Vice-President. 

9. THE PROGRESS OF THE COUNTRY. 
Changes in Life and Customs. — During the half cen- 
tury with which we have here dealt many changes of 
importance had occurred in the country. The people 
were gaining new ideas; new ways of doing things 



180 FIRST HALF CENTURY OF THE REPUBLIC 

were coming into use, and much of importance* aside 
from political events was taking place. These things 
do not belong to political history, but are of great 
importance in social history. 

Growth of Population. — In the first census of the 
United States, taken in 1790, there were found to be 
nearly four millions of people in the country. In the 
fourth census, that of 1830, there were nearly thirteen 
millions, more than three times as many. This great 
increase of people had done much to fill up the new 
States in the west. In 1780 the west was still a 
wilderness. Daniel Boone had led some settlers into 
Kentucky and others had gone to Tennessee, but else- 
where the people had not moved far back from the 
sea-coast. There were great hardships to be borne 
by those who went West, and much danger from the 
Indians, and those who loved comfort and safety kept 
in the old settlements along the coast. 

The Pioneers of the North. — But there were many 
who loved adventure more than they did peace and 
comfort, and hundreds of these went out as pioneers 
into the wilderness. In the region of New England 
and New York these travelled with emigrant wagons, 
making roads through the woods as they went. They 
would clear off the trees and cultivate a piece of land 
for a year or two, and then, as others settled near them, 
they would set out again for a new home in the wilder- 
ness. It was like a great army slowly marching for- 
ward and sending pioneers in advance, while the main 
body held on to every foot of land that was occupied. 
The Indians retreated step by step before them. 
They could not repel this army of emigrants. 



THE PROGRESS OF THE COUNTRY 



181 



Emigration along the Ohio. — ^Along the Ohio the 
emigrants went in a different way. They loaded their 
goods and families on boats and floated down the 
river till they found a good place to settle. It was a 
dangerous journey. The Indians would fire on them 
from the woods on the river bank, and many were 
killed or captured. Afterwards the boats were made 
stronger so that bullets would not pass through 
them, and in some cases they carried small cannon 
to drive off the foe. But for many years the journey 
down the Ohio was a dangerous one. 




The Home of the Pioneer. 



Settlements in the West. — No dangers could keep 
back the people, and they made many settlements 
along the Ohio River. Louisville was founded in 1778, 
and the first houses were built at Cincinnati in 1788. 
The Indians fought with the settlers, but they were 
driven back, and soon there were great numbers of 
people along the Ohio and Mississippi, and States 
began to be formed where not many j^'ears before all 
had been a wilderness, the home of the red man and 
of wild beasts. 



182 



FIRST HALF CENTURY OF THE REPUBLIC 



How People Lived. — In thoso days things were very 
different from what they are now, even in the largest 
cities. The streets were dirty and poorly paved, while 
at night they were lighted only by a few oil lamps. 
There were no gas and no matches such as we have 





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A Colonial Kitchen. 



now, but a piece of flint and steel and some tinder 
were used to make a light. AVater had to be carried 
from the pump, and wood was used for fires, so that 
houses were not warmed all through as they now are, 
and most of the rooms had no fires to warm them. In 
winter people slept in freezing cold rooms. 



THE PROGRESS OF THE COUNTRY 183 

Most of the people lived on farms, for there were 
fewer workshops to bring them into the cities. Life 
on the farm was very hard. There were none of the 
excellent machines which farmers have now, and the 
work required great labor, while most of the things 
that were used had to be made at home. There were 
very few amusements in the country, and not many 
books and newspapers, while there was little time for 
anything except hard work. 

In the houses there were great open fireplaces, 
where logs of wood were burned. Tallow candles were 
used to light the rooms, while most of the people wore 
clothes of homespun, — that is, of cloth made at home 
from thread spun on the spinning-wheel and woven 
on the hand-loom. Hunting and fishing were the 
principal amusements of the men, and the gun and the 
fishing-rod could be seen in every house. 

Customs of the Rich. — But the rich people in the 
cities lived much better than the farmers and made a 
great deal more displa3^ This class of people dressed 
more showily than they do now. The gentlemen wore 
white satin vests and white silk stockings, with velvet 
or broadcloth coats; while the ladies wore beautiful 
silks and satins, and had their hair dressed with powder 
and pomatum and raised like a tower above the head. 
All gentlemen took snufT, and to offer the snuff-box 
was considered an act of politeness. 

Fine balls were given at which there was much 
formality, and also musical concerts, but the theatre 
had made no great progress. There was much pomp 
and show at President Washington's receptions: the 
kings of Europe made little more display. But this 



184 FIRST HALF CENTURY OF THE REPUBLIC 

came to an end after Jefferson was made President. 
He dressed jjlainly and did away with all ceremony. 

Cotton In the South. — There was one thing that hap- 
pened at this time of which we must speak. Among 
the plants which had been early planted in the Southern 
colonies was the cotton-plant. This plant has its 
seeds covered with a fine white down, or fibre, which 
can be spun into thread and made into cloth. Cotton 
grew in other parts of the world and was used for this 
purpose. The people of the south raised some of the 
plants, but it took so much time and trouble to get the 
seeds out of the cotton that they could not make it pay. 

The Cotton Gin. — ^In 1792 a young man from Massa- 
chusetts, named Eli Whitney, went to Georgia to teach 
while he studied law. One day he was asked if he 
could not make a machine that would separate the 
cotton seeds from the fibre faster than the old way of 
picking them out by hand. He began to experiment, 
and soon invented a machine which did this work very 
well. It was called the cotton-gin. It worked so well 
that it was soon in use wherever the plant was raised, 
and before many years the cultivation of cotton became 
a great industr3^ American cotton came into use in 
all parts of the civilized world, and the South grew very 
rich from the vast quantities of this useful product 
that were raised and sold. 

The Steamboat Invented. — Other inventions were 
made, one of the most important being the steamboat. 
Several persons tried this. There was one built by 
James Rumsey in 1784, and another afterwards by 
John Fitch, which ran for some time on the Delaware. 
But the first successful steamboat was built by Robert 



THE PROGRESS OF THE COUNTRY 



185 



Fulton in ISO". This was tried on the Hudson, and 
when people saw it moving at five miles an hour against 
wind and tide they knew that a great invention had 
been made. As it went up the river to Albany the 
sailors on other vessels were scared to see this monster 
sending clouds of smoke and showers of sparks into 
the air, and making a great noise with its paddles 
and machinery. Some of them hid below the deck, 
and other fell on their 

knees and prayed for 'f'^ "" 7^^ 

safety. But before long 
steamboats were run- 
ning on all the rivers 
and proved of the 
greatest use. 

On the Western Riv- 
ers. — Before the time of 
steamboats it was not 
easy to travel on the 
western rivers. Boats 
would float down the 
Ohio and Mississippi to 
New Orleans, but it was hard work to row them back 
against the strong current. So they were broken up 
and sold for lumber, and the sailors walked or rode 
back along the river banks. But after steamboats 
were put on the rivers there was no trouble in moving 
up as well as down. In 1819 the first steamship crossed 
the Atlantic. It was named the Savannah. 

The Railroad Introduced. — There was another great 
invention soon to come into use. This was the rail- 
road. The first railroad in America is said to have 




Fulton's Steamboat. (The Clermont.) 



186 FIRST HALF CENTURY OF THE REPUBLIC 

been one built in 1827 at Quincy, Massachusetts. It 
was only three miles long, and the cars were drawn 
by horses, and carried stone from the quarries to the 
wharves. But about this time the locomotive was 
invented in England by George Stephenson. 

In 1828 the locomotive was tried in America. Farm- 
ers did not like it at first. They thought it would 
scare their animals, and that the wool of the sheep 
would be made black by the smoke, so that it could 
not be sold. But none of these things happened, and 




ML^tt^iKikmiM t <h.iii. A.^.t|, _^.M*. 



A MoDl'.KN .-> 



soon railroads were being built in various directions. 
Nothing else has done so much to make a great country 
of America. 

A Period of Prosperity. — After the war with Great 
Britain the country found itself in a state of great 
poverty and with a heavy debt to pay. But business 
became so good that there was soon more riches in 
the country than there had been before. Tobacco and 
cotton sold at high prices; the ships had plenty to do; 
soon gold watches began to take the place of silver, 
silk goods took the place of cotton, better furniture 
was seen in the houses, and people lived in more 
comfort than of old. 



QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION 187 

Coal and Gas. — Up to this time only wood, or soft 
coal, had been burned. The hard coal, or anthracite 
coal, of Pennsylvania was discovered in 1791, but it 
was long before people learned how to burn it, and it 
was not generally used before 1830. Since then it has 
made our houses much more comfortable. Gas was 
first used for lighting in 1822, and soon became com- 
mon. It proved a very useful invention. 



PART v.— QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION. 

1. What was the condition of the people after the Revolution? 
What was thought of Washington? Why did Congress have Uttle 
power? When and where did the Constitutional Convention meet? 
What great document did it prepare? What were to be the powers 
of the new government? Of what three bodies was it composed? Of 
what two bodies is Congress made up? Wliat are their duties? Wlmt 
is the duty of the Supreme Court? What is the duty of the President? 

2. Who was the first President, and when elected? What city 
was made the seat of government? What troubles took place in 
Western Pennsylvania? To what place was the seat of government 
removed in 1790? To what place in 1800? What three States were 
formed about this time? What took place in Ohio? 

3. AMio was the second President? Why had the country 
grown more prosperous? What two political parties arose? What 
led to a naval war with France? When did Washington die and 
how was he spoken of? 

4. Who was elected President in ISOO? What great purchase 
was made in 1S03? How far did the United States extend before 
that time? How far after? What was the character of the people 
of Tripoli? How did they act toward American commerce? What 
did President Jefferson do? Describe the fate of the frigate Phila- 
delphia. What claim was made by England? How did the French 
and English war affect American trade? What act was passed by 
Congress? What was its purpose? What country did it hurt most? 

5. Who was the fourth President? How did England injure 
this country? What took place among the Western Indians? 
When was war declared? 



188 FIRST HALF CENTURY OF THE REPUBLIC 

6. Where was the chief seat of the war? What American officer 
was sent to Lake Erie? What was the result of the battle of Lake 
Erie? What other victories did the Americans win? Between what 
ships was the first naval battle? What success had the Americans on 
the ocean? What city did the British attack in 1S14? What other city 
did they attack? Who commanded the Americans at New Orleans? 
What was the result of the British attack? Why was it important to 
end the war? What effect had the treaty of peace on the people and 
on business? 

7. Who was elected President in 1816? Why was this period 
called "the era of good feeling"? What was done in Florida and 
with what result? How many States were there in 1821? WTiat 
dispute arose when I\Iissouri asked to be made a State? \NTiy were 
slaves kept in the south longer than in the north? What was the 
"Missouri Compromise "? What is meant by the Monroe Doctrine? 
What did Congress do to make travelling easier? WTiat great 
work of public improvement was done in New York? "Why was a 
tariff wanted? What effect did it have? 

8. Who was elected President in 1824? What new parties 
arose during his term of office and what were their principles? How 
was the tariff of 1828 received? What was the efi'ect of the temper- 
ance agitation? Who was elected President in 1828? 

9. When was the first census of the United States taken? 
What was the population? What increase had taken place by 1830? 
What was the condition of the Western country in 1780? How 
was emigration westward conducted in New York and New England? 
How along the Ohio? How did people live in those days? How 
were houses warmed? What was the character of farm-fife? What 
Icind of clothes were worn? What amusements did the people 
have? What were President Washington's receptions like? What 
President did away with ceremony? What was the most important 
Southern plant? Who invented the "cotton-gin"? A\Tiat effect 
did it have on the South? Who invented the first useful steamboat? 
How did people travel on the western rivers before steamboats 
were used? When did the first steamship cross the Atlantic? 
When and where was the first railroad built in America? How 
were the cars drawn? Who invented the locomotive? ^\Tien was 
It first tried in America? What was the condition of business after 
the war with Great Britain? When was anthracite coal first dis- 
covered in Pennsylvania? When was gas first used for lighting? 



PART VI. 

TWENTY YEARS OF PROGRESS. 



1. JACKSON'S ADMINISTRATION. 

From 1829 to 1837. 

Andrew Jackson as President. — General Andrew 
Jackson was inaugurated as President, March 4, 1829. 
He was a very popular man, for the people did not forget 
how well he had fought at New Orleans ; so he was elected 
twice and was President for eight years, from 1829 to 
1837. Yet he was a man without education, and was 
rough in his manners and obstinate in his opinions. What 
he thought it right to do he did, without caring what 
any one else thought. But men who act in that way 
are apt to make mischief, for it takes more than one to 
tell what it is best to do when great questions arise. 

The South Carolina Trouble. — The first difficulty 
that arose was about the tariff. The people of South 
Carolina strongly opposed the tariff of 1828 and passed 
a law saying that foreign goods would be admitted 
into that State without paying duties. This was 
against the Constitution, which said that only Congress 
could pass laws of that kind. But the law-makers of 
South Carolina declared that if Congress interfered with 
what they had done the State would secede or with- 
draw from the Union, and become a separate nation. 

What the President Did. — President Jackson was a 
Democrat, and therefore belonged to the party that 
was in favor of low tariff. But it was his duty to carry 

189 



190 TWENTY YEARS OF PROGRESS 

out the laws, and this he determined to do. He said 
that South Carolina should pay the duties, and sent 
war-ships to Charleston to enforce the law. Every- 
body knew that Jackson meant what he said, and that 
he would force the State to remain in the Union and 
to obey the laws made by Congress, if he had to do it 
with an army. But about this time Congress passed a 
law to lower the tariff, a part of which was to be taken 
off every year for ten years. This settled the trouble. 
South Carolina withdrew her "Ordinance of Secession," 
and there was no more talk of leaving the Union. 

The Bank Question. — The next question was about 
the United States Bank. This bank had been started 
in 1816, and was to continue for twenty years. Its 
charter would run out in 1836, and Congress was asked 
for a new one. A bill was passed to give it a charter, 
but the President was opposed to the bank and would 
not sign it, so it did not become a law. He also took 
the government money from the bank. 

This proved to be a serious matter, and helped to bring 
the country into great trouble. When it was found that 
the United States Bank must stop, State banks started 
up all over the country, and these lent money freely to 
speculators. But this was only paper money, and the 
banks had very little gold and silver to make it good. 

The Panic of 1837. — At that time there was much 
speculation in western lands, and much also in foreign 
goods. Business was brisk, and every one thought 
the country was prosperous. But nearly all this busi- 
ness was done on the paper money of the State banks 
and on credit. It ended in one of the greatest panics 
in business the country has ever known. The Presi- 



JACKSON'S ADMINISTRATION 



191 



dent said that gold and silver must be paid for gov- 
ernment lands, and this brought on the panic. All 
over the States the banks ceased the payment of coin, 
merchants were ruined, factories closed, and business 
came nearly to an end. There were failures for millions 
of dollars, and many thousands of people could get 
no work to do and little food to eat. This began in 
1837 and continued for a year, but it was several years 
before the effects of it were over. 







From WilluugLby's "Across the Everglades." 

The Everglades of Florida. 



Indian Wars. — Several wars with the Indians took 
place during Jackson's term. As the white people 
pushed farther into the country they met new tribes 
of Indians, who were often treated unjustly, many of 



192 TWENTY YEARS OF PROGRESS 

these pioneers being rough and brutal men. The 
Indians defended themselves and thus wars began. 
One broke out in 1832 with the Sac and Fox Indians, 
who were led by a chief named Black Hawk. They 
fought hard but were forced to submit. 

A more serious war began in 1835 with the Seminole 
Indians of Florida. These lived in the great swamp 
regions of that State and it took years and cost the 
government thirty millions of dollars to overcome 
them. They were sent to the Indian Territory, where 
the Creeks and Cherokees had been sent before, but 
some of the Seminoles remained in Florida in places 
where the soldiers could not find them, and their 
descendents still live there. 

2. VAN BUREN'S ADMINISTRATION. 

From 1837 to 1841. 

Martin Van Buren. — In 1836 Martin Van Buren, who 
had been Vice-President in Jackson's second term, was 
elected President and took his seat March 4, 1837. 
It was during his administration that the panic of 
which we have spoken took place, though President 
Jackson's policy in regard to the banks had much to do 
with its development. 

Wild Cat Banks. — Many of the State banks which 
succeeded the United States bank had little capital 
and did business in such a way that they were called 
"wild cat" banks. In some of these Jackson had 
deposited the government money taken from the Uni- 
ted States Bank. The "pet banks," as these were 
named, loaned this public money freely to speculators 
and much of it was lost after the panic began. 



HARRISON AND TYLER ADMINISTRATION 193 

The paper money issued by the banks then came 
back in quantities, and as few of them had enough 
gold and silver in their vaults to redeem it, they 
failed on all sides. Everywhere also the merchants 
and speculators were in trouble, the failures in New 
York City alone within two months reaching the great 
sum of one hundred million dollars. 

State Failures. — The finances of the country were in 
such a condition that some of the States, which had 
borrowed large sums of money from Europe for public 
improvements, were not able to pay interest on their 
debts and one State refused to pay either principal or 
interest. This was a serious blow to American credit. 

The Treasury and Sub-Treasury System. — As it was 
seen to be unsafe to deposit the public money in the 
banks, a law was passed establishing a government 
treasury, this being a place of deposit for the public 
funds in Washington City. Branches called sub- 
treasuries were also established in other cities. This 
system is still in existence. 

3. THE HARRISON AND TYLER ADMINISTRATION. 

From 1841 to 1845. 

A Whig President Elected.— From 1800 up to 1840 
all the Presidents had been Democratic, but in 1840 
General William Henry Harrison, a Whig, was elected. 
He was the hero of the battle of Tippecanoe, and as it 
was said that he lived in a log cabin and drank hard 
cider, log cabins and cider were the great features of 
the campaign. But he was an old man and not strong 
enough to bear the worry of office seekers and he died 
April 4, 1841, just one month after taking his seat. 

13 



194 TWENTY YEARS OF PROGRESS 

John Tyler as President. — John Tyler, of Virginia, 
had been elected Vice-President and the death of 
Harrison made him President. He had been elected on 
the Whig ticket, but was more a Democrat than a 
Whig, and he greatly displeased the party which had 
elected him by vetoing a number of its bills. One of 
these was to establish another United States Bank. 

The War for Freedom in Texas. — The most impor- 
tant event which occurred while Tyler was President 
was the request of Texas to be made part of the United 
States. Texas had been held by Spain since the time 
La Salle's colony was destroyed by the Spaniards, 
and when Mexico gained its freedom from Spain 
Texas became part of it. But many Americans had 
settled in that country, and they did not like the way in 
which they were treated by the Mexican government. 
So they rebelled and began a war for freedom. 

This war began in 1S35, and in 1836 the Mexicans 
were defeated and forced to leave the country. Texas 
be'came independent. But after some years it asked 
to be made a part of the United States. The Northern 
people were opposed to this, for they knew that it 
would be a slave State; but finally, in 1845, it was 
accepted as a State. This was a large addition to the 
United States, for Texas is an extensive country. 

4. POLK'S ADMINISTRATION AND WAR WITH MEXICO. 
From 1845 to 1849. 

The Election of 1844.— In 1844 Henry Clay, a great 
and popular orator, was nominated by the Whig party, 
and James K. Polk, by the Democratic. They were 
both Southern men, but Polk was little known, while 




^f»N«ik^x 









POLK'S ADMINISTRATION 195 

Clay was a public favorite and everybody expected him 
to be elected. But he lost favor in some of the States by 
concealing his true sentiments about the annexation of 
Texas. This was not manly, and it lost him the elec- 
tion, New York going against him by a small majority,. 

Hostilities with Mexico. — There was a great show of 
indignation in Mexico when Texas was made a part of 
the United States, for it was claimed that it still 
belonged to Mexico. War was likely to come, and it 
was desired in the South, where the planters hoped to 
conquer still more territory from Mexico and thus make 
room for new slave States. There was also a dispute 
about the boundary. 

Mexico claimed that the western boundary of Texas 
w^as the Nueces River, while the United States claimed 
that it was the Rio Grande, a hundred miles farther 
west. Both countries sent armies into this disputed 
territory, and as soon as they met they began to fight. 
Two battles were fought. The Americans were vic- 
torious in each, and the Mexicans had to retreat. 

The Advance into Mexico. — General Taylor was in 
command of the American army. He now crossed the 
Rio Grande and took possession of Matamoras, a 
Mexican town. When the news of this was received 
there was great excitement. Many of the people did 
not want to go to war, but others did, and Congress 
voted in favor of war. Many volunteers joined General 
Taylor's army, and he marched into the country and 
captured the strong city of Monterey, where there were 
ten thousand Mexican troops. 

The Battle of Buena Vista. — General Taylor pushed 
on into the mountain region. He had only five thou- 



196 TWENTY YEARS OF PROGRESS 

sand men, and the Mexican general, Santa Anna, was 
marching against him with more than twenty thousand. 
They met on February 22, 1847, at a place called Buena 
Vista. General Taylor was in great danger, for most 
of his men were volunteers, while the Mexicans w^ere 
trained soldiers. But he took possession of a narrow 
pass through the mountains. All day long the Mexi- 
cans tried to drive the American army out of this pass, 
but they could not do it, and at night they retreated 
in great haste and disorder. 

The Capture of Vera Cruz. — There was no more 
fighting in the north of Mexico. It had been decided 
to carry the war to the south, and General Scott w'as 
sent with a fleet and army to attack the city of Vera 
Cruz, the principal sea-port of Mexico. There was a 
very strong fortress at Vera Cruz, but it was soon 
forced to surrender. The Mexicans could not stand 
the cannon-balls that were poured like hail -stones 
into their fort. 

The March to the City of Mexico. — The road from 
Vera Cruz to the City of Mexico is over a mountainous 
country, and the passes in these mountains were held 
by the Mexicans. Their army was much stronger 
than that of General Scott, but he marched on and 
drove them back wherever he met them. When the 
Americans got near the city there were many battles 
to fight, but every one of them ended in a victory for 
General Scott's army. 

The most important battle was at Chapultepec. 
This was a strong fort on the top of a very steep hill. 
The Americans had to climb up the hill and get into 
the fort by ladders, while musket- and cannon-balls 



POLK'S ADMINISTRATION 



197 



came down on them like hail; but they fought their 
way up the hill and got into the fort, from which they 
drove the Mexicans. 

The next day, September 14, 1847, the Americans 
marched into the City of Mexico, and took possession. 
That was the last battle of the .war, and Santa Anna, 
the Mexican President, asked for peace. 




General Scott's Entry into the City of Mexico. 



The War Elsewhere. — But this is not the whole 
story of the war. While the fighting we have described 
was taking place, an army under General Kearney had 
marched into New Mexico and taken possession of it. 
Captain John C. Fremont, with sixty men, was at this 
time in California. He had been sent there to explore 
the country, but as soon as he heard that war was 
going on he got the American settlers to join him, and 
began to drive out the Mexican soldiers. He was 



198 TWENTY YEARS OF PROGRESS 

helped in this by an American fleet, and by General 
Kearney, and soon all California was held by the 
United States. 

New Territory Acquired. — At the end of the war the 
American army had full possession of New Mexico 
and California, and when the treaty of peace was 
signed Mexico was obliged to give up this territory, 
though the United States agreed to pay for it fifteen 
million dollars. Thus a great district, containing more 
than half a million square miles, was added to the 
United States. This district now contains the States 
of California, Nevada, Utah, and parts of Colorado 
and Wyoming, with the Territories of Arizona and 
New Mexico. 

No one dreamed at that time how valuable this 
would prove to be. Some thought that the money 
paid for it was more than it was worth. It was thinly 
settled by Mexicans, with a few American settlers. 
Little gold had been found in it by the Mexicans, 
though they had been looking for gold for many years. 
So they did not think the country of much value, and 
were willing to give it up to the United States for the 
money paid. 

The Discovery of Gold. — But a year or two later 
they would have given ten times as much to have it 
back again, for the Americans were not long there 
before gold was found. A workman who was building 
a mill-dam in the Sacramento Valley found shining 
yellow particles in the gravel. He eagerly gathered 
some of this mineral, took it to his employer and had 
it tested. It proved to be gold. At once everybody 
quit working and went on the hunt for gold. Plenty 



THE WORK OF THE PEOPLE 199 

of it was found, and when the news was heard by the 
people of the east they began to emigrate in great num- 
bers to the west, every one eager to make his fortune. 
There proved to be gold in very many parts of the 
territory. It was found in the sand, in the river-beds, 
in the rock; in dust, and in lumps. The stories told 
of the finding of gold were like fairy tales, and thou- 
sands of people hurried to California, eager for wealth. 
Silver mines were also discovered, and since that time 
an immense amount of gold and silver has been taken 
from that country, though at first it was thought of 
so little value. But California would be rich if it had 
no gold or silver. Its soil is ver}^ fertile, and every 
year great quantities of grain and fruits are raised. 
The timber on its mountains is also of high value. 
The Mexicans got nothing from it in three hundred 
years, but the Americans have made it a rich and 
populous State in much less than one hundred years. 

5 THE WORK OF THE PEOPLE. 

Increase of Territory. — In the period which we have 
just considered the country had made great progress. 
Let us stop here and take a look back at what had 
been done. 

First, it is important to consider the size of the 
United States. We have told how it had gained a great 
territory from Mexico. ' But other territory had come 
to it of which we must now tell the story, 

Lewis and Clark's Expedition. — When France sold 
the country west of the Mississippi to the United 
States no one knew how large that country was, or 
what might be found in it. So two men. Captains Lewis 



200 TWENTY YEARS OF PROGRESS 

and Clark, were sent out to see what it was like. There 
were thirty men with them, and they left St. Louis in 
1804 and were more than two years in a wilderness 
where no white man had ever set foot before. They 
went up the Missouri River as far as they could, and 
then, crossing the Rocky Mountains, went down the 
Columbia River till they reached the Pacific Ocean. 

When they came back, they had wonderful stories 
to tell of the tribes they had seen and the adventures 
they had met with. They were probably the first 
white men that beheld the vast multitudes of buffalo 
on the western plains. They had seen herds of them a 
mile wide crossing the rivers like a great army. 

The Fur Trade. — These explorers found that the 
Indians of the Pacific coast had furs to sell, and a New 
York merchant named John Jacob Astor sent men there 
to trade for furs. He grew very rich in this business. 
His trading post was afterw^ards sold to a British fur 
company, and on this account the British wished to lay 
claim to the territory about the Columbia River. 

The Story of Oregon. — In 1792 Captain Robert Gray, 
the first to carry the American flag around the world 
in his ship, the Columbia, discovered a great river of 
on the Pacific coast, to vrhich he gave the name his 
vessel. 

In later years the Hudson's Bay Company, which 
controlled the fur trade of Bri'tish America, extended 
its business into Oregon, and an agreement was made 
in 1818 by which the people of the United States and 
Great Britain were permitted to fish, hunt, and trade 
there for ten years. This was afterwards renewed 
from year to year. 



THE WORK OF THE PEOPLE 201 

American Settlers. — In 1832 the American fur 
traders in Oregon were followed there by a party of 
settlers, and others succeeded until by 1846 there were 
several thousand Americans in the country. There 
had arisen a question between England and the United 
States as to the proper boundary between their western 
possessions. England's claim extended southward to 
the Columbia River; the Americans' claim extended 
northward to 54° 40', the southern boundary of Russian 
America, now known as Alaska. 

Oregon Treaty. — In 1846 the dispute was settled by 
a compromise, a treaty being made with England which 
decided that the parallel of 49° should be the boundary. 
This parallel already formed the boundary east of the 
Rocky Mountains. Thus the country which we now 
know as the States of Oregon, Washington, and Idaho, 
with parts of Montana and Wyoming west of the main 
range of the mountains, became part of the United States. 

Growth of the Country. — The great republic had 
made a wonderful growth in fifty years. In 1800 the 
United States was bounded on the west by the Missis- 
sippi River, and on the south by Florida. It did not 
reach to the Gulf of Mexico, for Florida had a strip of 
land fifty miles wide along the Gulf coast. By 1850 
it had gained Florida and the whole vast country 
between the Mississippi River and the Pacific Ocean^ 
together with Texas and the whole of Northern Mexico. 
In fifty years it had grown to three times its original 
size, and had become one of the greatest countries on 
the earth. We may well call this a wonderful progress. 

Population. — The population was growing as fast as 
the country. Many steamships now crossed the ocean. 



202 TWENTY YEARS OF PROGRESS 

and immigrants were coming in by thousands. Most 
of these settled in the East, but great numbers of the 
Eastern people went west. This was not difficult to 
do. Every river had its steamboats, and railroads were 
being built in all parts of the country, so that it was 
becoming an easy matter to travel long distances. 
New cities started up in the West. In 1830 there was 
only a fort at Chicago. Now it is one of the largest 
cities in the country. In other places where there are 
large cities now there was only the wilderness then. 

Emigration West. — But there were no railroads or 
steamboats to carry emigrants across the Rocky 
Mountains to the Pacific coast. Those who went there 
had to travel in wagons drawn by oxen or horses. 
It was a journey of great hardships and danger. The 
emigrants were often attacked and murdered by the 
Indians. Sometimes they were smothered in the 
snows, or died of starvation. The road was marked 
by the bones of dead animals. Yet large numbers 
crossed that way, and the Western country rapidly 
filled up. 

The iVlormons. — It was the desire for gold and silver 
that took most of these emigrants across the mountains. 
Others went to settle on farms or to do business in 
cities. But some of them went for a different purpose. 
These were the Mormons, a religious sect which had 
been started by a man named Joseph Smith, who said 
he had found a book of religious teachings written on 
gold plates that were buried in the earth. He called 
this the "Book of Mormon." The Mormons first 
settled in the region near the Mississippi River, but 
the people did not like their doings, and mobs drove 



THE WORK OF THE PEOPLE 



203 



them away. So in the end they crossed the mountains 
and settled in the country since known as Utah, and 
which was made a Territory of the United States in 1850. 
Increase of Wealth. — The country was fast growing 
rich. In 1850 it contained over twenty-three milHon 
people and workshops and factories were being built 




Old and New Types of Locomotives. 

in all directions. One could hear the rattle of machinery 
all over the land. America no longer depended on 
England for goods. Goods were made here in great 
variety, but much also came across the ocean, and the 
shops were filled with costly articles. 

Mines and Forests. — Among the riches of America 
must be named the products of the mines. Pennsyl- 



204 TWENTY YEARS OF PROGRESS 

vania brought great quantities of coal and iron into 
the market. In New York there were mines of salt. 
Lead mines were worked in Illinois and Iowa, and 
rich copper mines in Michigan. Since that time these 
substances have been found in other places, while 
gold and silver have been found in many parts of the 
Rocky Mountains. The forests of America proved also 
of very great value, and every year immense quanti- 
ties of timber are cut, to be made into ships, houses, 
furniture, and very many other things. 

Valuable Inventions. — During this period there were 
many inventions, some of which became very valu- 
able. Among these is the electric telegraph, which is 
almost as important as the railroad. Samuel F. B. 
Morse was the American inventor of this. His first 
patent was taken out in 1837, but people could not be 
made to believe in the telegraph, and it was not tried, 
except for short distances, till 1844. Then a line was 
established from Baltimore to Washington. It proved a 
great success, and there are now nearly three hundred 
thousand miles of telegraph lines in the United States. 

Other inventions of great value were made. One of 
these was the reaping-machine, which has been a 
very great help to farmers. Another was the friction- 
match. It is so easy now to strike a light and make a 
fire that it seems strange how people ever got along 
without matches. Another great invention was that 
of vulcanized rubber. Before then india-rubber was 
soft and of little use; but by mixing sulphur with it 
it was made hard and firm, and it came into use for 
a great many purposes. The sewing-machine, which 
was invented in 184G, was quite as useful. Before that 



THE WORK OF THE PEOPLE 



205 



time all sewing had to be done by hand, and the labor 
was very great. Besides these there were hundreds 
of other inventions, all of which have helped people 
to live better, and to do more work with less labor. 

The Prisons. — In old times the prisons were very 
badly managed and those confined in them were treated 
cruelly. Most of the States whipped their prisoners 
and ill-treated them in other ways. One State kept its 
criminals in an old copper-mine. Men were sent to 
prison for debt. All this 
is now done away with, 
and prisoners in most of 
the States are well 
treated. They are made 
to work, but they have 
clean and healthful 
rooms and good food. 

Education. — E d u c a - 
tion had also very much 
improved. Public 
schools had been estab- 
lished in nearly all the 
States, and many more of the people were educated 
than in the past. But the methods of teaching and the 
school-books used were still poor, and they have been 
improving ever since. In the early days of the country 
there had been little time for study or amusement; most 
of the time was taken to make a living. But now people 
had more time to themselves and they paid much more 
attention to public affairs and to education. 

Newspapers and Books. — Most of the people had 
learned how to read, and newspapers were now pub- 




The Old Ephrata Press. 



206 



TWENTY YEARS OF PROGRESS 



lished in all the cities and spread throughout the 
country. These papers were much larger and had much 
more in them than those of the past, though they were 
not so large as those we have now. Books were also 
far more plentiful and much cheaper. Those who at 
one time did not know how to spend their time now 
had no trouble. There were many innocent amuse- 
ments, and it was not necessary to go for pleasure to 
drinking-places or other localities where bad habits 
might be learned. 




A Modern Printing-Press. 



Authors and Orators. — Many Americans were now 
writing books which were read all over the civilized 
world. At one time the English had laughed at the 
idea of any one reading an American book, but they 
now began to read works by American authors them- 
selves. And it was admitted that America had some 
of the greatest statesmen of the world. Daniel Webster 
was one of the ablest orators that had ever lived, and 
there were many other men of great ability in the 
American Congress. 



QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION 207 

Thus it may be seen that the United States had 
made wonderful progress in every way. It was a very 
different country from what it had been at the time of 
the Revolution. It was then one of the small and poor 
countries of the world; now it was becoming one of 
the great and rich nations. But it had a terrible trial 
to go through yet, in which all its wealth and power 
were to be strained to the utmost. The story of this 
great trial we have next to tell. 



PART VI.— QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION. 

1. Who became President in 1829? Why was he popular? What 
was his character? What difficulty arose with South Carolina? 
What did that State do? What did Jackson do? How long did 
the United States Bank have to run? What did Jackson do about 
the bank charter bill? What effect did it have? What Indians 
went to war? 

2. What was meant by wild cat and pet banks? Describe the 
panic of 1837. What caused injury to American credit? What is 
the sub-treasury system? 

3. ^\^lo became President in 1840? What happened to him? 
Who succeeded him? "What important affair took place while 
Tyler was President? How did the Texan war end? When was 
Texas accepted as a State of the Union? 

4. Who was made President in 1844? What claim was made 
by Mexico about Texas? What took place in the disputed region? 
WTiat did General Taylor do? Where did he meet Santa Anna's 
army? What was the result of the battle? What Mexican city 
was attacked by General Scott? To what point did he march from 
Vera Cruz? What was the result of his battles with the Mexicans? 
^^^len was the city of Mexico taken? What did Fremont do in 
California? What new territory did the United States acquire 
by the treaty of peace? What present States and Territories does 
it comprise? What was thought then of the value of this terri- 



208 TWENTY YEARS OF PROGRESS 

tory? Describe the finding of gold in California. What other 
precious metal was found? What other value has California? 
What effect did the discovery of gold have upon emigration? 

5. Who was the first to explore the Western territory of the 
United States? What is said of the fur trade on the Pacific? When 
was Oregon discovered? How many people were there in 1840? 
By what treaty was Oregon acquired? What were the boundaries 
of the United States in 1800? What had it gained by 1850? How 
was emigration made easier? How did emigrants cross the Rocky 
Mountain region? Tell the story of the Mormons. What was the 
population in 1850? What was the progress in industry? What 
is said about the mines of America? Wlio invented the American 
electric telegraph? In what year was the first line built? How 
many miles of telegraph are there now in the United States? What 
other important inventions were made? How was india-rubber 
made useful? When was the sewing-machine invented? How 
were the prisons managed in old times? How are they now? 
How were schools then? How are they now? What is said about 
newspapers and books? What did the English think about Ameri- 
can books? What do they think now? Who was the greatest 
American orator? 



PART VII. 

THE SLAVERY CONTEST AND CIVIL WAR. 



L THE TAYLOR AND FILLMORE ADMINISTRATION. 

From 1849 to 1853. 

An Exciting Question. — The ten years between 1850 
and 1860 were years of intense excitement and much 
bitter feeling in this country. The question of the 
extension of slavery to new States, which had been 
settled for thirty years by the Missouri Compromise, 
was opened again and led to angry controversy in 
Congress, while there was a large party in the North 
which claimed that all slavery was wrong and that it 
should be done away with in the States where it had 
long existed. It was a controversy that in ten years 
was to lead to a terrible war. 

The Election of 1848.— In 1848 the Whig party 
selected General Zachary Taylor, the popular hero of 
the Mexican War, for its candidate and was successful 
in electing him. Millard Fillmore was elected Vice- 
President. But the Whigs met with the same mis- 
fortune in this as in their former victory, for once 
more their President died in office. The death of 
President Taylor came on the 9th of July, 1850, Vice- 
President Fillmore succeeding him. Before the term 
of the latter ended some of his party blamed him almost 
as much as they had formerly blamed President Tyler. 

The Sources of Controversy. — The people of the 
South wished to have slavery introduced into the new 

14 209 



210 SLAVERY CONTEST AND THE CIVIL WAR 

territory that had been acquired from Mexico. This 
was strongly opposed by the Anti-slavery party of 
the North, and though Texas became a slave State, 
slavery was never admitted to the remainder of this 
territory. Objection was also made in the North to 
the existence of the slave trade within the city of 
Washington, and in the South to the aid given run- 
away slaves by Northern sympathizers. This made the 
Southern people very indignant, for they felt that 
they were being unjustly deprived of their property. 

The Compromise of 1850. — The debate on these sub- 
jects grew violent in Congress, but the trouble was 
finally settled for the time by Henry Clay, the author 
of the Missouri Compromise. He now brought for- 
ward a new compromise bill, which was passed and 
which it was hoped would end the controversy. It 
covered these points: California was to be admitted 
as a free State, the slave-trade in Washington was 
prohibited, and stringent provisions were made for 
the return of runaway slaves to their owners. 

The Fugitive Slave Law. — ^The law for the return of 
fugitive slaves included the following points. To aid 
a slave to escape was made a serious crime, and all 
persons called upon by the officers of the law were 
required to aid in arresting fugitives. President Fill- 
more signed this law and it was this for which the 
anti-slavery people 'blamed him. 

The Underground Railroad.— As it turned out, very 
few persons in the North were willing to aid in arrest- 
ing fugitive slaves. Many aided in the escape of 
slaves, this being done by secret methods which became 
known as the "Underground Railroad." Slaves who 



THE PIERCE ADMINISTRATION 211 

had been seized were rescued. Hundreds were helped 
to escape to Canada. In some places riots broke out. 
The law added much to the strength of the Anti- 
Slavery party, and the opposition to it greatly increased 
the feeling of anger and indignation in the South. 

2. THE PIERCE ADAHNISTRATION. 

From 1SS3 to 1857. 

The Election of 1852. — In 1852 came another Presi- 
dential election, and in this the Democratic party was 
successful, Franklin Pierce, their candidate, being 
elected. He was born in New Hampshire and was one • 
of the pro-slavery Democrats of whom there were still 
very many in the North. 

The Kansas=Nebraska Bill. — In 1854 a bill was 
passed in Congress which opened an old question 
that had long been closed. This was intended for the 
formation of two new Territories in the region west of 
Missouri, to be called Kansas and Nebraska. These 
lay north of the parallel of 36° 30', and according to 
the existing law slaves could not be admitted within 
them. But the new law said that they should be open 
to slavery if their inhabitants desired it. 

The Effect of the Law. — This law caused much angry 
and bitter feeling. It set aside the Missouri Comprom- 
ise and opened the whole diflSculty again. People 
began to hurry into Kansas. The South wanted to 
get the most men there, so that when it came to a 
vote they could vote for slavery. The North tried to 
do the same thing, so that they could vote against 
slavery. Very soon these men of difTerent opinions 
began to fight. Towns were burned and people were 



212 SLAVERY CONTEST AND THE CIVIL WAR 

killed in Kansas. Votes were taken and both parties 
claimed to have won. One party tried to organize a 
slave State and the other a free State, and the people 
of the Territory for a long time were at war. 

The New Parties. — While these things were going on 
political changes were taking place. The old Whig 
party ceased to exist, and there came up a new one 
called the Free Soil Party. It was opposed to the 
making of any more slave States. In 1856 the Free 
Soil and the old Whig parties became part of a new 
party, the Republican. After this the people were 
divided into the two leading political sections which 
we still have, the Republican and the Democratic 
parties. These have now several points of difference, 
but the principal one at that time was slavery. 

3. THE BUCHANAN ADMINISTRATION. 

From 1857 to 1S6I. 

The Election of 1856. — In 185G the Democrats and 
the new party of Republicans had candidates in the 
field, but the Democrats were successful, James Bu- 
chanan of Pennsylvania being elected President. The 
Republican party opposed the extension of slavery to 
new territory, but in it were many abolitionists, those 
who wanted slavery to be done away with everywhere. 
Yet there were many in the North who sympathized 
with the South and who were in favor of letting slav- 
ery alone and strongly opposed the anti-slavery 
agitation. 

The Dred Scott Case. — About this time a decision 
was given in the Supreme Court that startled the 
North. A slave named Dred Scott had been taken by 



THE BUCHANAN ADMINISTRATION . 213 

his master to a Northern State. After living there 
for some years he was taken South again. He now 
demanded his freedom, saying that his long residence 
on free soil had made him a freeman. The court 
decided against this, saying that slave-owners had 
the right to take their slaves where they pleased and 
keep them there as they could keep any other piece 
of property. 

This seemed to open up the whole North to slavery. 
Under the decision slave-owners might live in any 
State they pleased and keep there as many slaves as 
they chose. It did much to increase the growing 
opposition to the slave-holding system. 

The John Brown Raid. — An event which took place 
in 1859 added much to the stress of public feeling. 
There was an old man, named John Brown, who had 
been very active in Kansas, and had fought fiercely 
against the Southern party there. He was so "bitter 
against slavery that he thought it was his duty to stir 
up the slaves to rebel against their masters and make 
themselves free by force. 

So he led a party to Harper's Ferry, in Virginia, 
where there was an arsenal belonging to the govern- 
ment. He took possession of this. It was his purpose 
to get the slaves together, give them arms from the 
arsenal, and lead them to fight for their freedom. 
But no slaves came to help him, and very soon he and 
his party were taken prisoners by a force of United 
States soldiers. 

John Brown was given up to the authorities of 
Virginia, who tried him for treason. He was found 
guilty and hanged. 



214 SLiAVERY CONTEST AND THE CIVIL WAR 

Election of Lincoln. — This event stirred up the feel- 
ings of the people more than ever. Even many of those 
who thought that John Brown was wrong felt sym- 
pathy for him, and when the time came for the next 
Presidential election, in 1860, the two parties were very 
bitter against each other, while the Republican party 
had grown much stronger. When the votes were 
counted it proved that the Republicans had elected 
their candidate. This was Abraham Lincoln, of 
Illinois, who took his seat as President of the United 
States on the 4th of March, 1861. 

When he was elected the country was at peace, 
and most of the people had no idea that war would 
follow. W^hen he took his seat the country was on 
the verge of war. We have now to tell how this 
change came about. 

4. THE LINCOLN ADMINISTRATION. 

From 1861 to 1865. 

The State Rights Doctrine. — The election was no 
sooner over than trouble began. The political leaders 
in South Carolina had said that their State would 
secede if Lincoln was elected President. What did 
they mean by this? Let us see. The United States, 
as we know, is made up of a number of States which 
have joined together to form one country. Some 
people believed that each State had the right to with- 
draw again if it wished, and carry on its government 
alone. This is known as the "State Rights" doctrine. 
Others believed that the States had no right to with- 
draw, and that they had given up all such rights when 
they came into the Union. 



THE LINCOLN ADMINISTRATION 



215 




Abraham Lincoln. 



This was the question that was now before the 
people, — whether the United States was strong enough 
to hold together as a single nation, or so weak that 
the States could leave the Union at 
their will. This problem was to be 
settled in the next four years. 

Seven States secede. — As soon as 
it was known that Lincoln had 
been elected, the leaders in South 
Carolina determined to keep their 
word. A convention of delegates 
met, and on December 20, 1860, it 
was declared to the world that this 
State was no longer a part of the 
United States, but an independent nation, that it 
could not be kept in the Union against its will, and 
that in future it intended to govern itself. Very soon 
afterwards all the States that border on the Gulf of 
Mexico did the same thing. Seven 
States in all declared that they 
were out of the Union. 

The Confederacy formed. — These 
States then formed a new Union 
which they called the Confederate 
States of America. Jefferson Davis 
was elected President, and Alex- 
ander H. Stephens Vice-President, 
and Montgomery, Alabama, was 
selected as the capital of the new Confederacy. These 
States seized the forts and the war material in their 
territory, for they felt sure that they would not be 
allowed to go in peace. But some forts were held by 




Jefferson Davis. 



216 SLAVERY CONTEST AND THE CIVIL WAR 

United States officers and soldiers who would not give 
them up. One of these was Fort Sumter, in Charleston 
harbor, which was held by Major Robert Anderson. 
Fort Sumter bombarded. — It was thus that matters 
stood when Abraham Lincoln took his seat as Presi- 
dent, on the 4th of March, 18G1. The Confederate 
authorities at Charleston had determined that Fort 
Sumter should be theirs, and had built batteries on 
the shores of the bay near it. On the 12th of April, 
1861, they began to fire on the fort. Major Anderson 
fired back. This continued for two days. At the end 
of that time the fort was much injured, its barracks 
were on fire, and nearly all its powder was gone. So 
Major Anderson consented to give it up, as he could 
defend it no longer. 

5. THE NORTH AND SOUTH AT WAR. 

The Call for Volunteers. — When the news that 
the American flag had been fired on at Fort Sumter 
reached the North there was intense excitement. It 
was looked upon as an insult to the national banner 
and all hope of peace passed away. Everybody saw 
that there must be w^ar if the country was to be 
kept together. The President called for volunteers, 
and great numbers offered. In the South four more 
States seceded, — Virginia, North Carolina, Arkansas, 
and Tennessee. Everywhere men were gathering, 
drilling, and marching. It was clear that before many 
days they would meet in deadly conflict. 

The Battle of Bull Run. — Thousands of volunteers 
hurried to Washington to save that city from danger. 
A Southern army collected in Virginia, just south of 



LONGITUDE 




THE NORTH AND SOUTH AT WAR 



217 



Washington. On the 21st of July these two armies 
met near Bull Run, a small stream a few miles from 
Washington. Here the first important battle of 
the war was fought. There were about thirty thou- 
sand men on each side. They were all new troops 
but they fought well. For a while it looked as if the 
Union army would win; but just then a fresh force 
joined the Confederates, and on seeing this the Union 
ranks broke into dis- 
order, and the sol- 
diers fled in a panic 
to Washington. The 
Southern army had 
gained the victory. 

This battle had a 
great effect. The 
people of the South 
were full of joy. Some 
of them thought that 
this one victory 

would end the war; but it only made the North more 
determined. Congress called for half a million of men 
and voted to borrow five hundred million dollars. On 
every side volunteers flocked to the camps. Large 
armies were soon in the field on both sides. 

The War that followed. — And now we have to tell 
the story of a time that was full of important events. 
Many great battles were fought and hundreds of small 
ones. It would need a large book to describe them, 
and then we would only be telling how thousands of 
men were killed and wounded, how millions of dollars' 
worth of property was destroyed, and how for years 




Stone Bridge at Bull Run. 



218 



SLAVERY CONTEST AND THE CIVIL WAR 



terror and ruin hung over the whole country. It would 
be of no advantage to tell all this, and we shall simply 
give an outline of what took place. 

During the remainder of 1861 there was not much 
fighting, both sides being busy in raising and drilling 
their forces, collecting arms, and making all the 
preparation they could for the struggle before them. 
Then, at the opening of 1862, both armies took the field. 
The Contest in the West. — The fighting took place in 
three regions, — in the West, in Virginia, and on the 
ocean. In the West the United 
States wanted to get control of 
the rivers that ran south. The 
Confederate States tried to pre- 
vent this, and built two strong 
forts on the Tennessee and Cum- 
berland Rivers, in Kentucky, and 
also powerful works on the Mis- 
sissippi. The Unionists had cov- 
ered some steamboats with iron 
plates and sent them down these rivers as gun-boats. 
An army marched overland at the same time. This 
was commanded by General Ulysses S. Grant, who 
was afterwards to become famous. 

Battle of Pittsburg Landing. — The two forts we have 
named were soon taken, with many prisoners, and the 
Confederate army retreated to Tennessee. General 
Grant followed, and made his camp at Shiloh, or 
Pittsburg Landing, on the Tennessee River. Here 
there took place one of the most desperate battles of 
the war. Grant's army was attacked by a strong 
army under General Albert Sydney Johnston. The 




U. S. Grant. 



THE NORTH AND SOUTH AT WAR 219 

fighting continued with great fury for two days. On 
the first day the Union army was driven back in much 
confusion and with great loss of life, but in the night a 
fresh force came up, and the next day Grant's army 
drove back the Confederates and held the field. Both 
sides had fought hard and lost many men, but the 
battle ended in favor of the Northern army. 

Murfreesborough. — Much other fighting took place 
in the West during the year, and a great battle was 
fought at Murfreesborough, in Tennessee, on the last 
day of 1862. The two armies fought all day, and three 
days later there was another battle. Then Bragg, the 
Confederate general, withdrew his army and fell back 
to Chattanooga. The end of the year's fighting left the 
Union army in possession of all Kentucky and Tennessee. 

On the Mississippi. — While this was going on there 
was a severe struggle along the Mississippi River. The 
Union gun-boats and armies had gone down this river 
and captured all the forts of the Confederates, till 
they came to the city of Vicksburg, where very strong 
forts had been built. 

At the same time a fleet, commanded by Admiral 
Farragut, had sailed to the mouth of the Mississippi. 
There were several forts along this part of the river, 
but the fleet fought its way past them and kept on 
until it reached the city of New Orleans, which was 
forced to surrender. This took place on April 25, 1862. 

Vicksburg. — Then the fleet went on up the river and 
captured other places. It ran past the batteries at 
Vicksburg and joined the fleet above. Thus nearly the 
whole of the great river of the West was held by the 
North. But the Confederates had two strong places, 



220 



SLAVERY CONTEST AND THE CIVIL WAR 



Vicksburg and Port Hudson, and held control of the 
river between them, so that they could get supplies 
from Texas and the other States west of the Mississippi. 
It was the purpose of the Union leaders to capture these 
places and get control of the whole river, and thus cut 
the Confederacy in two. 




The Fleet Running the Batteries at Vicksburg. 

The War in Virginia. — It will be seen that in the 
West the Union army had gained great successes. 
They held Kentucky and Tennessee and part of 
Mississippi, and had won nearly the whole of the 
Mississippi River. In Virginia, on the contrary, the 
Confederates had been successful, and had gained 
several important victories, in which the Union armies 
met with great loss. 



THE NORTH AND SOUTH AT WAR 



221 



As soon as Virginia seceded the city of Richmond 
was made the capital of the Confederacy, and Jefferson 
Davis, the President, with the rest of the Confederate 
government, went there. So a great part of the war 
took place between the two capital cities, Washington 
and Richmond. Efforts were made to capture both 
these cities, but neither of them was taken until 
Richmond fell at the end of the war. 

Siege of Richmond.— Early in 1862, General McClel- 
lan, who commanded the Union army, moved south 
to Yorktown, the place where the 
army of Cornw^allis had been cap- 
tured eighty years before. After 
some fighting there he marched 
towards Richmond and built lines 
of earthworks near that city. A 
battle was fought at a place called 
Fair Oaks, where General Joseph 
Johnston, who commanded the Con- 
federate army, was badl}^ wounded. 
General Robert E. Lee took Johnston's place as Con- 
federate commander. This was an excellent choice for 
the Confederates, for General Lee proved himself to be 
one of the greatest soldiers of modern times. 

Stonewall Jackson. — While these events were taking 
place. General Jackson, one of the boldest and most 
skilful of the Confederate commanders, was winning 
victories in the Shenandoah Valley, which lies to the 
north-west of Richmond. He was usually called 
"Stonewall" Jackson, because he was said to have 
held his troops "like a stone wall" in the battle of 
Bull Run. 




Robert E. Lee. 



222 



SLAVERY CONTEST AND THE CIVIL WAR 



The Seven Days' Fight. — General Lee now decided to 
make an attack on McClellan. He sent for Stonewall 
Jackson to help him, and on June 26 made an assault 
on the Union lines. A series of dreadful battles fol- 
lowed. Each army had nearly one hundred thousand 
men, but the Union army suffered a severe defeat, 
and McClellan began to retreat towards the James 
River. Lee's army followed, and the fighting was kept 
up for seven days, there being a desperate battle every 
day. In some of these one side, in some the other, was 
successful, but the retreat con- 
tinued till the James River was 
reached. Here McClellan built 
strong lines of earthworks and was 
safe from further attack. Thous- 
ands had been killed and wounded 
on each side and the siege of 
Richmond had to be given up. 
Second Battle of Bull Run. — 
Another Union army had now col- 
lected in Virginia, under General Pope, and was sta- 
tioned in the region south of Washington. In August, 
General Lee marched suddenly to the north and made 
an attack on this army. The battle took place near the 
old battle-ground of Bull Run. It was one of terrible 
slaughter and in the end the Union. army was defeated 
and forced back towards the capital city. 

Antietam. — Then General Lee led his army across 
the Potomac into Maryland, where he hoped that 
many volunteers would join him. General McClellan, 
who had brought his army back from Richmond, 
followed in great haste. The two armies met on Sep- 




StonewajuL Jackson. 



THE NORTH AND SOUTH AT WAR 223 

tember 17, at Antietam Creek, in the west of Mary- 
land. The battle that followed was one of the most 
desperate of the war. While neither side could claim 
a victory, Lee's movement north was checked and he 
soon after crossed the Potomac again and marched 
back into Virginia. 

Fredericksburg. — There was one more terrible battle 
in Virginia during the year. This was at the town of 
Fredericksburg. General Lee had his army on the hills 
back of that town. General Burnside, who now com- 
manded the Union army, crossed the river and attacked 
him. The slaughter that followed was dreadful. The 
Union army was completely defeated, and had about 
twelve thousand men killed and wounded. This ended 
the fighting in Virginia for that year. 

The Blockade Runners. — While these things were 
taking place there w^ere some important operations of 
the fleet, of which we must now speak. Both sides 
had been busy building vessels of war, and a Union 
fleet was sent down the coast which took possession of 
large districts in North and South Carolina, and others 
in Georgia and Florida. These were held till the end 
of the war; but the sea-ports of Charleston, Savannah, 
and Wilmington were kept by the Confederates. 
They were blockaded by the Union fleet, but in spit« 
of the fleet a great many vessels got into them. These 
were called "blockade runners." They took out 
cotton, rice, tobacco, and other articles and brought 
back things needed in the South, much of the cargo 
being war material. 

The Work of the Merrimac. — A United States war- 
vessel called the Merrimac had been sunk in the harbor 



224 SLAVERY CONTEST AND THE CIVIL WAR 

of Norfolk to keep it from being taken by the Con- 
federates. This was raised by some of the mechanics 
of the South and covered with plates of iron. Then 
it steamed out and attacked the wooden war-vessels 
of a fleet that lay in Hampton Roads. These fired on 
it, but the heavy cannon-balls glanced off from the 
iron hull as if they had been hail-stones. One of the 
wooden vessels was sunk, and great fear was felt as 
to what this iron monster would do. It looked as if 
it might destroy the Union fleet and attack the cities 
of the North. 

The Monitor and the Merrimac. — But the Union side 
had been building iron vessels too. One of these was 
of very strange shape. It had a flat deck that came 
just above the water; on this was a round tower of 
iron in which were two very heavy cannon. People 
called it a "cheese-box on a raft," and that was what 
it looked like. It was sent down to Hampton Roads, 
and reached there the night after the fight we have 
just described. 

The Merrimac was coming out to attack the other 
vessels, when this strange-looking craft, which was 
called the Monitor, came gliding towards it. A tre- 
mendous battle followed. The two iron ships battered 
each other with cannon-balls for four hours. Neither 
hurt the other much, but the Merrimac got the worst 
of it. In the end it turned and hurried back to Norfolk. 
Soon afterwards the Union forces captured Norfolk, 
but the Merrimac was destroyed to prevent its falling 
into their possession. 

This was the first fight that ever took place between 
two iron-clad ships. When the news got to Europe 



THE NORTH AND SOUTH AT WAR 225 

every one saw that the days of wooden war-ships were 
over. Since that time many iron-clad ships have been 
built, and the war-ships of the world are now covered 
with thick plates of steel. 

The Emancipation Proclamation. — The year 1862 
ended with a very important event. For a long time 
during the war slavery was not interfered with, and 
the President said that the object of the war was 
merely to bring back the seceded States into the 
Union. But in time he saw that the South was getting 
great help from the slaves, who were kept at work on 
the plantations and helped to build forts and do other 
work. It would weaken the Confederates very much 
if the slaves were taken from them. 

The President therefore announced that the slaves 
would be liberated on the 1st of January, 1863. On 
that day there was sent out what is known as the 
"Proclamation of Emancipation." It declared that 
all slaves within the area of the war were free and 
should be free forever after. 

The Freedom of the Slaves. — This proclamation had 
a great effect. From this time on the war was fought 
not only to bring back the seceded States, but to 
liberate the slaves. Many negro regiments were 
formed, and everything was done that could make the 
negroes useful to the North and deprive the South of 
their help. The Confederacy was very much weakened 
by this proclamation. As fast as the armies went 
South the slaves were set free, till in the end they all 
gained their freedom. Since the war there has not 
been a slave in the United States. 



226 SLAVERY CONTEST AND THE CIVIL WAR 

6. THE FINAL YEARS OF THE WAR. 

Battle of Chancellorsville. — During the year 18G3 the 
war went on with great activity. In the East there was 
not so much fighting as there had been the year before, 
but two great battles took place. One of these was at 
a place called Chancellorsville, in a very rough and 
wild country known as the Wilderness. General 
Hooker now had command of the Union army. He 
did not think it safe to attack General Lee at Fred- 
ericksburg, as General Burnside had done; so he led 
his army across the Rappahannock and Rapidan Rivers 
at a point above that city. 

General Lee hastened in the same direction, and the 
two armies met in the wild country of the Wilderness. 
A fierce battle took place in a place where the trees 
and bushes were so thick that the soldiers could hardly 
see each other. General Stonewall Jackson led a strong 
force to the left through the woods, and made a sud- 
den attack on the right wing of the Union army. It 
was a complete surprise and this part of the army was 
driven back. The battle continued all the next day, and 
in the end Hooker was forced to retreat and to cross the 
river again. But Stonewall Jackson was wounded and 
died, which was a great loss to the Confederate side. 

Lee marches North. — The battle of Chancellorsville 
took place on the 2d and 3d of May, 18G3. In the latter 
part of June, General Lee left Fredericksburg and 
marched at great speed to the north. It was thought 
he wished to take the city of Washington, and the Union 
army hastened to protect it. But Lee kept on north till he 
reached Maryland, and then went on into Pennsylvania. 



THE FINAL YEARS OF THE WAR 227 

What he intended to do no one knew. Many feared 
he was going to march on Philadelphia and take pos- 
session of that rich city. The Union army followed 
him as fast as it could. The two armies came together 
near the small town of Gettysburg, in Southern 
Pennsylvania. General Hooker had now given up the 
command and General Meade had taken his place. 
He had brought the army north as fast as the soldiers 
could march. 




The Battle of Gettysburg. 

The Battle of Gettysburg. — The advance ranks of the 
two armies came together on the 1st of July, and a 
severe fight took place. The Confederates were the 
stronger, and the Union line fell back to the top of a 
long line of low hills called Cemetery Ridge, which 
the men quickly fortified, while the remainder of the 
army was hurried up. Here there was fought the 
greatest battle of the war. On July 2, General Lee 
made a desperate attack on the Union lines. Terrible 
fighting took place, and many thousands were killed 
and wounded, but at the end of the day the Union 
army still held Cemetery Ridge. 



228 SLAVERY CONTEST AND THE CIVIL WAR 

The next day General Lee sent a very strong force 
against one point of the Union lines. If the lines had 
been broken he would have gained the victory, but 
the charging force met with dreadful slaughter and 
was completely defeated. Most of those who were 
not killed were taken prisoners. Very few got back. 
This ended the battle. General Lee led his men back to 
Virginia. He had suffered a great defeat. Many look on 
the battle of Gettysburg as the turning-point of the war. 

The Siege of Vicksburg. — While this was taking place 
in the East the Union army was gaining another great 
success in the West. General Grant had made up his 
mind to capture Vicksburg and open the Mississippi 
River. General Sherman had attacked this town the 
year before, but had lost many men and been driven 
back. In the spring Grant moved his army to a posi- 
tion south of the town, and marched up and began to 
besiege it. 

There were two Confederate armies, one in the town 
and one outside of it. The one outside was defeated 
and forced to retreat, and the one inside was closed in 
by long lines of earthworks that reached the river 
both below and above the town. A terrible fire was 
kept up by the forts upon the city, and the gun-boats 
on the river threw in bomb-shells and cannon-balls 
from the other side. 

There was dreadful distress within the city. None 
could get out of it, and hundreds were being killed 
within it. To make it worse, the food gave out. Mules 
and horses were killed and eaten. Soon there was a 
famine in Vicksburg. There was much sickness also, 
and the storm of cannon-balls never ceased. 



THE FINAL YEARS OF THE WAR 229 

Vicksburg Surrenders. — This could not continue. 
On the 4th of July, the same da}^ that Lee retreated 
from Gettysburg, Vicksburg surrendered. Twenty- 
seven thousand prisoners fell into General Grant's 
hands. This was a most important 4th of July for the 
people of the United States, for with it ended nearly 
all chance of success for the South. They fought on 
bravely, but it was a losing game from that time. 

Chattanooga. — Port Hudson surrendered three days 
afterwards, and the whole length of the Mississippi 
was open now to the Union gun-boats. The rest of 
the fighting in the West for that year took place near 
the town of Chattanooga, in Tennessee. A severe 
battle was fought in September, in which the Union 
army was defeated. It retreated to Chattanooga, 
while the Confederate army took possession of the 
mountains around the city, and shut the Union army 
in so closely that it became very short of food. 

General Grant was now made commander of all the 
Western armies. He came to Chattanooga and took 
charge there. General Bragg, the Confederate com- 
mander, held strong positions on Lookout Mountain 
and Missionary Ridge, each of which was nearly half a 
mile high and defended by strong forts. Yet the 
Union army charged up the hills through all the fire 
of these forts. It was a desperate attempt, but the 
forts were taken and Bragg's army was driven out with 
great loss. This has always been considered one of 
the most brilliant victories of the war. 

Grant Conimander=in=Chief. — In 1864, General Grant 
was made commander-in-chief of all the militarj' forces 
of the United States. He at once laid plans to have the 



230 SLAVERY CONTEST AND THE CIVIL WAR 

armies of the country work together and bring the war 
to an end as quickly as possible. General Sherman 
was left in command of the Western army, while Grant 
came to Virginia and took control of General Meade's 
soldiers. 

Grant's Advance. — The grand advance of all the 
forces began early in May. In Virginia, Grant led his 
army across the Rapidan River into the thicket of the 
Wilderness. Here the battle between Hooker and Lee 
had taken place just a year before. Another desperate 
battle was now fought, in which neither army was 
victorious. Then General Grant marched towards 
Richmond and Lee followed him. Several severe 
battles took place, the last of them at Cold Harbor 
near Richmond. This was a terrible encounter. Lee's 
army was behind strong earthworks, which the Union 
soldiers could not enter on account of the terrible fire 
of the Confederates. Grant lost ten thousand men 
killed and wounded, and Lee not more than a thou- 
sand. But Grant moved south again, crossed the James 
River, and began a siege of Richmond and Petersburg. 
This siege lasted nine months. 

Sheridan's Ride. — In July, Lee sent General Early 
up the Shenandoah Valley to Maryland. What he 
wished to do was to weaken Grant's army. Early 
marched along the Potomac, and for a time Washington 
was in danger. But General Sheridan, a very able 
cavalry commander, was sent against him and defeated 
him in several battles. In one of these the striking 
event known as "Sheridan's Ride" took place. Early 
made a night attack on Sheridan's army at Cedar 
Creek, and drove it back in great confusion. Sheridan 



THE FINAL YEARS OF THE WAR 



231 



was then at Winchester, twenty miles away. But he 
heard the distant roar of the battle, sprang to his 
horse, and rode at furious speed to the scene of conflict. 
Here he put himself at the head of his men, led them 
forward, and drove 
back the victorious 
Confederates in a com- 
plete rout. Defeat was 
turned into victory 
almost in a moment, 
and Sheridan became 
a famous general. 

Sherman's March to 
the Sea. — In the West, 
General Sherman did 
some remarkable work. 
He marched against 
the Confederate army, 
and battle after battle 
took place. At the end 
of every battle Sher- 
man moved farther into Georgia, until he had taken 
the important city of Atlanta, which was a great 
railroad centre. 

General Hood, who now commanded the Confederate 
army, marched north, thinking that Sherman would 
follow him. But instead of that Sherman sent some 
help to General Thomas, who had command in Ten- 
nessee, and then started on a march through Georgia, 
destroying the railroads as he went. This was Sher- 
man's famous ''March to the Sea." He kept on until 
he reached the coast at Savannah, and took that city. 




Sheridan's Ride. 



232 SLAVERY CONTEST AND THE CIVIL WAR 

Hood's Defeat at Nashville. — Meanwhile General 
Hood had marched into Tennessee and brought his 
army in front of Nashville, where General Thomas 
was in command. For two weeks he besieged that 
town, and then Thomas made a sudden assault on him. 
In the battle that followed Hood's army was terribly 
defeated, and so broken to pieces that it never came 
together again. This victory ended the war in all that 
portion of the South. 

Naval Victories. — During the year 1864 there were 
some important naval victories. There were several 
Confederate cruisers, built in England, which had 
done much harm to American shipping. One of these, 
the Alabama, had taken sixty-five vessels. On June 
19 the Alabama was met by the frigate Kearsarge, 
near the coast of France. A battle was fought, and at 
the end of two hours the Alabama was sunk. 

Another battle took place in Mobile Bay, which was 
defended by strong forts and an iron-plated vessel, but 
Admiral Farragut sailed in with a fleet of wooden ships 
and several vessels hke the Monitor. He sailed past 
the forts, standing in the rigging of his ship, spy-glass 
in hand, without seeming to care for the terrible danger 
which he ran. This bold action gave great fame to the 
brave admiral. 

Sherman's March North. — With the opening of the 
year 18G5 it was clear to everybody that the end of the 
war was near at hand. The South was in a desperate 
condition. General Sherman had left Savannah and 
was marching north. He marched into South Carolina 
and took possession of Charleston, and then continued 
until he reached North Carolina. 



THE FINAL YEARS OF THE WAR 233 

Lee's Retreat. — At the same time General Grant was 
pressing more and more strongly on Lee. Immense 
lines of earthworks had been built around Petersburg, 
but Grant's army kept moving southward until, on 
the 1st of April, it made an attack on the lower end of 
Lee's works, and won a victory at a place called Five 
Forks. General Lee then saw that he could hold on 
to Richmond no longer, and began a hasty march 
westward towards the mountains. 

The End of the War. — Grant followed him with the 
utmost speed, sending Sheridan with his cavalry in 
advance, and soon Lee found himself surrounded by a 
much stronger army than his own. He could fight no 
longer, and on the 9th of April he surrendered to 
General Grant at Appomattox Court-House, Virginia. 

This surrender brought the war to an end. As soon 
as news of it spread through the South all the forces in 
the field laid down their arms and the long and terrible 
civil war was over. 

Assassination of Lincoln. — Yet one dreadful event 
followed. On April 14, five daj^s after General Lee's 
surrender, President Lincoln was murdered. He was 
shot by an actor, named John Wilkes Booth, in a 
theatre at Washington. This terrible deed filled the 
whole country with horror, and threw a deep shadovv 
on the joy that had been felt at the close of the war. 
No more shocking event had ever taken place in 
America. It was as great a misfortune for the South 
as for the North, for it roused the passions of men and 
made it more difficult to bring the two sections of the 
country together in harmony. 



234 SLAVERY CONTEST AND THE CIVIL WAR 



PART VII.— QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION. 

1. What great question disturbed the nation before 1860? WTio 
became President in 1849? What happened to him? Who became 
President in his place? What great questions arose and how were 
they settled? How did the Fugitive Slave Law operate? What 
is meant by the Underground Railroad? 

2. Who was elected President in 1852? What important law 
was made in 1854? What effect had it on the slavery question? 
What took place in Kansas? What new party was organized in 
1856? What policy did it support? 

3. Who was elected President in 1856? What was the state 
of party opinion in the North? What was the effect in the Dred 
Scott decision? What was done by John Brown and how did it 
end? Which of the parties won in the Presidential election of 1860? 
Who was chosen for President? 

4. What is meant by seceding? Explain the State Rights 
doctrine. What was done in South Carolina? What other States 
followed this example? What did these States call themselves? 
Whom did they elect as President and Vice-President? What 
was done in Charleston harbor? What effect did this have on the 
country? 

5. What other States seceded? How many did that make in all? 
Where and when was the first battle fought? AVliat was the 
result? What was the principal work done in 1861? In what three 
regions did fighting take place in 1862? What forts were captured 
by General Grant? Where did a great battle take place? Describe 
the battle. What battle was fought on the last day of 1862? What 
was done by Admiral Farragut's fleet? What successes had the 
Union army gained in the West? What city had been made the 
capital of the Confederate States? Who was placed in command 
of the Union army? To what region did he lead it? What able 
general was placed in command of the Confederate army? Why 
was the Confederate general Jackson called "Stonewall" Jackson? 
Where did he win victories? Describe the seven days' fight. Where 
did a battle take place between Lee and Pope? Where did Lee 
then lead his army? What was the result of the battle of Antietam? 



QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION 235 

What was the result of the battle of Fredericksburg? What was 
being done on the coast? What did the blockade runners do? 
How was the Merrimac strengthened? What did it do to the wooden 
fleet in Norfolk harbor? When did the Monitor reach Norfolk 
harbor? Describe the fight with the Merrimac. What did this 
battle of iron-clad ships prove? With what important event did 
1S62 end? What was the first object of the war? ^V^ly did the 
President wish to free the slaves? On what day were they declared 
free? What was the proclamation called? What was its effect? 

6. What great battle was fought in Virginia in 1863? In what 
way did Stonewall Jackson surprise Hooker's army? WTiat was 
the result of the battle? What did General Lee do in June? Where 
did the armies meet? On what three days was the battle of Grettys- 
burg fought? ^Vllat was the result of the battle? What was 
General Grant doing in the West? How did he enclose the Con- 
federate army in Vicksburg? On what day did Vicksburg surrender? 
What was the effect of the victories at Gettysburg and Vicksburg 
on the Southern cause? Where did the rest of the fighting in the 
West take place in 1863? Who was made commander of all the 
Western armies? What great battles were fought at Chattanooga? 
What position was given to General Grant in 1864? ^Vhat plans 
did he form? Who was left in command of the Western army? 
When did the general advance of the armies begin? Where did 
Grant lead the Army of Virginia? What battle took place? What 
was the result of the battle at Cold Harbor? How long did the 
siege of Petersburg last? What events took place in the Shenandoah 
Valley? Describe "Sheridan's Ride." "What did General Sherman 
do in the West? Where did he march after taking Atlanta? What 
did General Hood do? WTiat happened to Hood's army? What 
important naval battles took place in 1864? What did Sherman 
do in 1865? On what day did General Grant break through General 
Lee's lines? Where and when did Lee's surrender take place? 
What effect did this have? What dreadful event happened soon 
after? 



PART VIII. 

THE NEW UNION. 



1. RESULTS OF THE WAR. 

The Evil of the War. — The great war was at an end. 
What had been its cost to the country and what good 
and evil had come of it? In the first place a vast 
multitude of men had been taken from their homes to 
live the life of soldiers and bear the perils and hard- 
ships of warfare. On the Union side more than two 
and a half millions of men had been in the army. At 
the end of the war there were still more than a million 
in the ranks. We do not know how many there were 
on the Confederate side. There were not nearly so 
many as on the Union side, probably not more than 
half the number. In the Union armies more than three 
hundred thousand men were killed, or died of wounds 
and disease, and the losses of the Confederate armies 
are supposed to have been as great. 

This was a frightful slaughter, and to it must be 
added all those who died after the war from wounds, 
or other effects of the dangerous life of a soldier. The 
money cost of the war was also very great. At the end 
of the war the United States had a debt of $2,750,000,- 
000. The States and the cities also had heavy debts. 
We do not know how much the Confederate States 
had spent, but they must have used a very large 
amount of money and materials. And this money loss 
was only part of the cost of the struggle. There was 

236 



RESULTS OF THE WAR 237 

not much damage done in the North, for nearly all 
the fighting had been in the Southern States. But in 
the South there was ruin everywhere. Railroads had 
been destroyed, towns burned, and much other dam- 
age done. It would take years to make up the losses 
of the war. Everybody in the South had become poor 
and they had lost all their slaves, who were valued at a 
great sum of money. But in the North scarcely any 
harm had been done to city or country, business of 
every kind had been good, and many had grown rich 
during the war. The South was in a dreadful condi- 
tion, but the North showed hardly any signs of injury 
from the great conflict. 

The Good of the War. — Great courage and skill had 
been shown on both sides. It was made clear that the 
Americans north and south are a brave people. This 
both sides had learned and they knew and respected 
each other more than ever before. The war, as we have 
said, was not fought to abolish slavery, but to preserve 
the Union. Its purpose was to keep the nation together, 
and in this it had succeeded. It will be long before any 
State again tries to secede. 

Slavery was abolished, but this had not been done 
until it became necessary as an act of war, to help the 
North to conquer in the great contest. Yet it was an 
act that could not be undone. The slaves had been 
set free, and free they must continue while America 
remains a nation. The South would not have them 
as slaves again if it could. The people there have 
found that they are better off without slavery. Thus 
the great question which so long divided the nation 
was set at rest forever. This was the greatest good 



238 THE NEW UNION 

that came of the war. The civilization of America 
stands to-day at a higher level than it did before the 
Civil War. 

Reconstruction. — ^Let us go on to see what followed 
the war. We have told how President Lincoln was 
assassinated. Nothing ever took place in this country 
that caused more grief and horror. The people of the 
North had come to look on Abraham Lincoln as a man 
as great and noble as George Washington, and it was 
a terrible shock to them that he should be killed at 
the end of his great work. Few things ever happened 
in the country that caused so much excitement and 
angry feeling, and the murder of Lincoln made the 
difficult questions that followed the war much harder 
to settle. It did harm to North and South alike. 

2. JOHNSON'S ADMINISTRATION. 

From 1865 to 1869. 

Johnson becomes President. — President Lincoln had 
been re-elected in 1864 for a second term, with Andrew 
Johnson, of Tennessee, for Vice-President. His death 
raised Johnson to the post of President, one for which 
he was not well fitted under the conditions of that 
time. The government had serious work before it. 
The war was over, but it had left everything in dis- 
order. Eleven States had declared themselves out of 
the Union. They were to be brought back again, and 
a new Union to be made. How was this to be done? 

Amendments to the Constitution. — The slaves were now 
free in all the States. An amendment to the Consti- 
tution had been adopted on April 8, 18G4, setting 
free all slaves within the United States. This is known 



JOHNSON'S ADMINISTRATION 239 

as the Thirteenth Amendment. The seceded States 
had to agree to it before they could come back. An- 
other amendment, the Fourteenth, was offered, and 
was adopted in July, 1868. This gave negroes all 
the rights of white people, except the right to vote. 
The seceded States had to agree to this also. 

The President Impeached. — President Johnson ob- 
jected to these amendments, and to a number of other 
laws passed by Congress. He vetoed them all. This 
made much bitter feeling between him and Congress, 
and in the end he was impeached for doing some 
things which the Constitution did not give him the 
right to do. That is, he was accused of going beyond 
the powers of his office, and was tried before the 
Senate, which acted as a court. 

The trial caused great excitement in the country. 
The Senate heard all that was to be said on both 
sides, and decided that the President had not acted 
contrary to his oath of office, and therefore was not 
guilty of the charges against him. This was the only 
time an American President has been tried for break- 
ing the laws of the land. 

The Problem before Congress. — It was a very diffi- 
cult problem which lay before Congress. The Union of 
the States had been brought into the greatest danger, 
and now that the seceded States were to be restored 
to their old position, it was not easy to decide on the 
best way of doing this. The President wished to do 
it in the most direct manner possible, by simply 
declaring them back in the Union, but this did not 
please Congress, many of whose numbers thought that 
the leaders of the Confederacy should be severely 



240 THE NEW UNION 

punished and that the States should not be permitted 
to come back except under new and strict conditions. 

It was this difference of opinion that made the 
trouble between Congress and the President. Military 
governments were placed over all the States except 
Tennessee, which had been taken back in 1866, but 
six others were admitted in 1868, leaving four which 
would not accept the terms of settlement offered by 
Congress and therefore remained out of the Union. 

Carpet=Bag Governments. — Under the new laws the 
Confederate leaders were not allowed to vote or hold 
office, while the negroes who had so recently been 
freed from slavery were given the right of suffrage, 
and formed the majority of voters in several of the 
States. Adventurers from the North, who were called 
"carpet-baggers," because it was said that all they 
owned could be put in a carpet-bag, went South and 
solicited the negro vote and many of them were elected 
to office. Many of the late slaves were sent to the 
legislatures. The result was very serious and much of 
the money of the States was wasted or stolen. On 
Christmas, 1868, President Johnson issued a procla- 
mation of full pardon for all those who had fought 
against the government. But this did not restore their 
political rights, which could be done only by Congress. 

The Atlantic Telegraph. — Some other things of 
importance took place at this time. One of these was 
the laying of a new ocean telegraph. This was done in 
1866, two cables being laid under the Atlantic, both of 
which worked admirably. So little power was needed 
that a battery made in a gun cap has sent a telegraph 
message from America to England. 




1- 



c v^^ >^ 








TERRITORIAL ACQUISITIONS 

BY THE 

UNITED STATES -—-;:;:::; 



so 100 150 200 230 300 





JOHNSON'S ADMINISTRATION 



241 



Alaska. — In 18G7 another addition was made to tlie 
territory of the United States. The region known as 
Alaska was bought from Russia. It is a large country, 
but most of it is of little use, on account of the cold- 
ness of the climate. Yet many furs come from there, 
and on some islands near the coast the valuable fur 




Travel Across the Plains. 

seals are found in great numbers. The fisheries and 
forests are also of great value. Rich deposits of gold 
have been found there, and mines opened', and in many 
respects Alaska is an important addition to the coun- 
try. The gold mines have taken so many people to 
Alaska that it now has a considerable population and 
is found to be valuable in many ways not thought of 
formerly. 



16 



242 THE NEW UNION 



3. GRANT'S ADmNISTRATION. 
From 1869 to 1877. 

General Grant made President. — In 1868 Ulysses 
S. Grant, the great Northern leader in the Civil War, 
was. elected President, and the severe struggle between 
President and Congress came to an end. He took his 
seat on the 4th of March, 18G9, and remained Presi- 
dent for eight years. During that time several impor- 
tant events happened. 

The Suffrage Amendment. — In 1870 another amend- 
ment to the Constitution was adopted. It is known 
as the Fifteenth Amendment. It gave to negroes, 
both those who had lately been slaves and those who 
had always been free, the right to vote. Under this 
law every American of the proper age, except women 
and Indians not taxed, can vote. One by one the 
seceded States agreed to these amendments, and were 
taken back into the Union. Georgia, Virginia, Missis- 
sippi, and Texas were the last. These came back in 1870. 

The Chicago Fire. — Another serious event was the 
Chicago fire, the greatest conflagration that has ever 
been known in America. It is doubtful if any fire in 
any other city of the world ever destroyed so much 
property. It began on October 8, 1871, and burned for 
three days. The part of the city burned was four and 
a half miles long and a mile wide. One hundred thou- 
sand people were left without homes, and two hundred 
were killed. The money loss was about two hundred 
million dollars. In the same year great forest fires broke 
out in the neighboring States. In Wisconsin many vil- 
lages were burned and fifteen hundred people perished. 



GRANT'S ADMINISTRATION 243 

In November of the next year a terrible fire broke 
out in Boston, which destroyed property valued at 
seventy-five million dollars. Yet so great was the 
activity of the people that in a few years both those 
cities were built up again, and very little trace of the 
fires remained. 

The Alabama Claims. — The greatest political occur- 
rence while Grant was President was the settlement of 
the "Alabama claims." We must explain what this 
means. In the last chapter we told how the Confederate 
privateer, the Alabama, had sailed from England, and 
captured and burned many American merchant vessels 
on the ocean. For this the United States blamed 
England. The Alabama was built in England^ and it 
was said that the British government had no right to 
let it set sail, and that England ought to pay for all 
the damage that this vessel had done. 

The dispute might have brought on a war between 
America and England, but both nations agreed to let 
it be settled by a commission of men chosen by the 
two countries. This was done, and the commission 
found that England was in the wrong, and must pay 
damages to the United States. The amount was six- 
teen million two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. 
This was the first great question between nations that 
was settled in this way. Such questions are generally 
decided by war, but it would be far better and cheaper 
to decide them all in a peaceful manner. 

The Business Panic. — In 1873 a great business panic 
began. It was brought on in the same way as that of 
1837 had been. There was wild speculation every- 
where, many families lived in great luxury, many more 



244 THE NEW UNION 

railroads were built than the country needed, and 
every man in business fancied that he was growing 
rich. Suddenly some great business houses proved 
unable to pay their debts, and this quickly brought 
others into the same trouble. The difficulty rapidly 
spread over the whole country. Banks failed, fac- 
tories stopped running, the building of railroads came 
to an end, money was not to be had, and thousands 
of people who had believed themselves in the way to 
grow rich found themselves poor. For the working 
people there was very little to do. It was the worst 
business trouble the country had ever seen, for there 
were many more to feel it than in the past. Five or 
six years elapsed before all the effects of the panic 
passed away and business became as good as it had 
been before 1873. 

The Centennial Exhibition. — There was one more 
interesting event while Grant was President. In 1876 
it would be just one hundred years from the date in 
which America had declared herself free, and the peo- 
ple determined to celebrate this event in a grand way. 
So it was decided to hold a great exhibition in Phila- 
delphia, where the Declaration of Independence had 
been signed. Large buildings were prepared for a 
World's Fair, and goods were sent from every part of 
the country and from every foreign nation. Millions 
of people visited it, some of them coming from distant 
parts of the earth. Nothing of the kind had over been 
seen in America, and it was a great lesson to the people 
of this country. They learned there in what things 
America was superior to Europe and in what Europe 
was superior to America. Every one saw that in 



THE HAYES ADMINISTRATION 



245 



machinery no other country could surpass the United 
States, but that in art Europe was far in advance. 
But this is not so much the case to-day. Great progress 




Memorial Hall, Centennial Exhibition, Philadelphia 

has been made in American art since that time; her 
people have been wise enough to profit by the lesson 
of the Centennial Exhibition. 



4. THE HAYES ADMINISTRATION. 

From 1877 to 1881. 

The Election of 1876= — In November, 1876, there 
was an election for President that caused much feel- 
ing. The Republican candidate was Rutherford B. 
Hayes, the Democratic, Samuel J. Tilden. The elec- 
tion was so close that there was a dispute as to who 
had been elected. Congress was not able to settle this, 
so a commission of fifteen men was chosen from the 
members of Congress and the judges of the Supreme 
Court. This commission decided that Hayes was 



246 THE NEW UNION 

elected President, and he took his seat on the 4th of 
March, 1877. But the Democrats said the decision was 
an unjust one, and there was much bitter feeUng. 

Gold Payments Resumed. — Several things of impor- 
tance took place during Haj'^cs's term of office. While 
the war was going on gold had become of more value 
than paper money. From the beginning of 1862 it 
had not been used as money, and all the business of 
the country was done with bank-notes. This continued 
until 1879. On the 1st of January of that year the 
government began to pay out gold to its creditors, 
and since then paper money has been worth as 
much as gold. 

The Great Railroad Strike. — In 1877 a great strike 
began on account of the lowering of wages of railroad 
men and for two weeks nearly all movement of rail- 
road trains ceased. Rioting followed and in the fights 
with the soldiers many men were killed. In Pitts- 
burg railroad buildings and trains of cars were burned, 
the loss being more than three millions of dollars. 
The coal miners of Pennsylvania also joined the strike, 
and very many thousands of men stopped work. 

Yellow Fever in the South. — In 1878 yellow fever 
broke out in many of the cities of the South, and raged 
so fiercely that thousands of the people died. Busi- 
ness could not be carried on, so there was much suffer- 
ing from this cause also. The fever appeared again the 
next year. The people of the North' did much to help 
the sufferers in the South during this terrible period. 
Money, food, and other necessaries were given in large 
amounts, doctors and nurses went South at the peril 
of their lives, and the warm feeling of sympathy that 



GARFIELD AND ARTHUR ADMINISTRATION 247 

was shown did much to hasten the growing good 
feeling between the two sections of the country. 

The Mississippi Jetties. — The Mississippi River had 
long been growing shallow near its mouth from the 
great quantity of mud brought down the stream and 
deposited there. It was getting so that no large 
vessels could reach New Orleans. To overcome this 
Captain James Eads built jetties, or walls of wicker- 
work filled with earth, along the stream, so as to make 
it narrower. This was a great success. The narrow 
stream swept away the mud from its bottom and 
became so deep that the largest vessels could make 
their way up its channel. 

5. THE GARFIELD AND ARTHUR ADMINISTRATION. 

From 1881 to 1885. 

Garfield's Election. — When the time came for the 
next Presidential election (1880) the Republicans 
nominated General James A. Garfield, the Democrats, 
General W. S. Hancock. Garfield was elected. The 
new President soon showed that he was going to do 
what he thought was for the good of the country. 
When men asked for offices he did not trouble himself 
to know what they had done for the party, but was 
careful to find out if they knew anything about the 
work of the office, and could be trusted to do their duty. 

The Assassination of Garfield. — This gave great 
offence to some persons who wanted offices, but were 
not fit to do the work required. One of -these men, 
named Charles J. Guiteau, became so angry that he 
resolved to kill the President. On the 2d of July, 1881, 
four months after Garfield was inaugurated, this man 



248 THE NEW UNION 

came up behind him in the railroad depot at Washing- 
ton, drew a pistol, and shot him in the back. 

The President fell, severely wounded. The news 
spread rapidly over the country, and caused as much 
horror and excitement as had been occasioned by the 
death of Lincoln. Garfield did not die at once. He 
lay sick for more than three months. During this 
interval every one felt the greatest sympathy for him, 
and when he died, on the 19th of September, it was as 
if every family in the land had lost one of its dearest 
members. The wounded President had been so brave 
and patient in his suffering that the people of all parties 
had grown to love him. The whole people of the coun- 
try seemed watching by his bedside, for the telegraph 
brought them news almost as quickly as if they had been 
there, and nothing has ever shown more clearly the won- 
derful character of the telegraphic service than the way 
in which the story of the dying President was laid every 
morning before the anxious and sympathetic nation. 

Arthur takes Office.— The death of Garfield left the 
Vice-President, Chester A. Arthur, to succeed him. 
As Garfield had been so short a time in office, Arthur 
was President nearly three and a half years. During 
this time there were no great political occurrences, 
but some things of interest took place. 

The Washington Monument. — One of the events of 
this time was the completion of the great monument 
to Washington, which had been building at Washington 
city since 1848 and was not finished until 1885. It is 
a great shaft of white marble five hundred and fifty- 
five feet high, which rises above the city and can be 
seen for long distances away. 



CLEVELAND'S FIRST ADMINISTRATION 249 

Standard Time. — Another thing of importance was 
the adoption of standard time for the convenience of 
the great railroads running east and west. This took 
place in 1883, the country being divided into four 
sections, within each of which a fixed time was to be 
used, while the time would vary one hour in going from 
one section to another. Thus when it is twelve o'clock 
at New York, it is eleven at Chicago, ten at Denver, 
and nine at San Francisco. The same is the case all 
through these sections. Travellers going east or west 
need to change their watches one hour on going from 
one section to another, and thus they can always have 
the correct time. 

Industrial Exhibitions. — While Arthur was President 
several exhibitions of industry took place in the South. 
One was held at Atlanta and another at Louisville. 
But the most important was one held at New Orleans^ 
in 1884, called "The World's Cotton Centennial 
Exposition." It showed the great progress the South 
had made since the war, and the immense develop- 
ment of the cotton industry since 1784. In that year 
eight bags — equal to about one bale of cotton — was 
exported. In 1884 eight million bales were exported. 
This was certainly a grand advance. 

6. CLEVELAND'S FIRST ADMINISTRATION. 

From 1885 to 1889. 

Election of Cleveland. — On March 4, 1885, Grover 
Cleveland took his scat as President to succeed Presi- 
dent Arthur. He was elected as the candidate of the 
Democratic party, and was the first Democratic Presi- 
dent since 1856. 



250 THE NEW UNION 

The Charleston Earthquake. — In 1886 there occurred 

an event that was in some respects more terrible than 
the Chicago fire. A great earthquake took place. 
The centre of its force was in South Carolina, and the 
city of Charleston was so shaken that a great part of 
it fell in ruins to the ground. A single minute turned a 
happy and prosperous city into a distressed and ruined 
one. The people ran in terror from their falling houses, 
but many were killed in the houses and in the streets. 
The earth cracked open here and there, and mud and 
stones were thrown into the air. The people of Charles- 
ton lost ten million dollars by this earthquake shock, 
besides all the suffering they endured. 

The Chicago Anarchists. — For a number of years 
there had been much trouble in this country between 
working people and their employers. The working 
people had joined into strong societies, and there were 
many great strikes for wages. In Chicago, on May 1, 
1886, there was a strike in favor of making eight hours 
the time of a day's work. This led to an awful scene of 
murder. There was a large party of foreigners in 
Chicago who wanted to do away with all law and order, 
and declared that no man had a right to be richer than 
other men, but that all ought to be alike in this respect. 

During the eight-hour strike there was held a meet- 
ing of these anarchists, as they were called, which the 
police tried to break up, but while they were attempt- 
ing to do so some one in the crowd threw among them 
a bomb charged with dynamite. Dynamite is an 
explosive substance which is much more violent in its 
action than gun-powder. The bomb burst in their midst 
and did terrible damage. Six of the policemen were 



BENJAMIN HARRISON'S ADMINISTRATION 251 

killed and sixty-one wounded. The police drew their 
pistols and fired on the mob, and many of the anar- 
chists, in their turn, were killed and wounded. Seven 
were arrested and found guilty of murder. Of these 
one killed himself, four were hanged, and the others 
sent to prison for life. 

The Chinese Exclusion Law.— For years many Chinese 
workmen had been makmg their way into this country, 
until there were many more than one hundred thou- 
sand of them here. This roused much opposition 
among the working people, who said that the Chinese 
did not intend to stay in the country and become 
citizens, and that they worked for such low wages as to 
cut down the wages of Americans. As a result a law 
was passed preventing. any more Chinese from coming 
into the country. This law still holds good. 

7. BENJAMIN HARRISON'S ADMINISTRATION. 

From 1889 to 1893. 

The Election of 1888. — In the Presidential election of 
1888 Benjamin Harrison was nominated by the 
Republican and Grover Cleveland by the Democratic 
party. Harrison was elected and the Republicans 
came into power again. The new President was the 
grandson of General William Henry Harrison, who had 
been elected President in 1840. 

The Johnstown Disaster. — A great disaster took 
place in the first year of Harrison's term of office. On 
May 31, 1889, during a severe rain-storm, a dam gave 
way on a branch of the Conemaugh River, in Western 
Pennsylvania. The whole valley of the river was swept 
by a destructive flood, and the city of Johnstown and 



252 



THE NEW UNION 



several smaller places were carried away on the raging 
waters. Five or six thousand people were drowned and 
many millions of dollars' worth of property destroyed. 
No accident so dreadful in loss of life had ever happened 
in America before. Much food and clothing and great 
sums of money were given by charitable people to aid 




The Johnstown Disaster. 

the sufferers, but the terrible loss of life no money 
could repay, and the Johnstown flood will long be 
remembered in the history of destructive events. 

The Pan=American Congress. — In the latter part of 
1889 and the early part of 1890 a very important meet- 
ing was held in the city of Washington. Delegates 
from all the nations of North and South America came 
together, to see what could be done to aid commerce 
and harmony between these nations, and to do away 
wuth war. It was decided to try and settle all quarrels 
between them by peaceful means, to take measures 
for the improvement of trade, and to do other things 
for the benefit of the American people. 



BENJAMIN HARRISON'S ADMINISTRATION 253 

The McKinley Tariff.— In 1890 a tariff bill was 
passed by Congress, which put a higher tax or duty on 
many articles brought from other countries. It was 
known as the McKinley tariff, because it was offered 
by Mr. McKinley, of Ohio. It was hoped that it would 
be a great help to manufactures in America, by keep- 
ing out foreign goods from this country, but there is a 
wide difference of opinion about this, for many say 
that the American people would be better off with 
a low tariff. This is to-day the great question in 
American politics. 

New States. — In 1889 four new States were added 
to the Union. The large Territory of Dakota was 
divided into two States, named North Dakota and 
South Dakota, and the Territories of Washington and 
Montana were made States. In 1890 two other States 
were added, Idaho and Wyoming. 

The Census of 1890. — Another important event of 
1890 was the United States Census. The count of the 
population showed that there were in this country 
sixty-two millions six hundred and twenty-two thou- 
sand two hundred and fifty people, an increase of more 
than twelve millions since 1880 and of about fifty-nine 
millions since the first census in 1790, a century before. 

Copyright Bill. — In 1891 Congress passed an impor- 
tant bill, known as the Copyright Bill. Ever since the 
country was established the writers of books had had 
no protection in foreign lands. Any Englishman could 
publish and sell an American book, and any American 
could do the same with an English book, and pay the 
author nothing. The Copyright Bill put an end to 
this and gave protection to authors. 



254 



THE NEW UNION 



The Pension List. — Among the changes made in this 
period was a great increase in the pension list, both in 
the number of persons receiving pensions, and the 
amount paid them. The annual sum paid for pensions 
for many years was about one hundred and forty 
million dollars, much the greatest sum ever paid for 
this purpose. Changes were also made in the immi- 
gration laws, so as to keep out of this country all 
persons not likely to make good and useful citizens. 




Ai.\SIi..VN Se.U. FlSHEIUliS. 

Alaskan Seal Fisheries. — For a number of years there 
had been a dispute between the United States and 
England, on account of Canadian fishing-vessels 
killing the fur seals which make their homes on the 
islands of Bering Sea, in Alaska, and which the United 
States claim as their own property. After many 
vessels had been seized, and there had been much 
bitter feeling, the question was given over to arbi- 
trators to settle, both nations agreeing to accept the 
decision of the court of arbitration, whose members 
were chosen from several nations. The arbitrators 
decided that the United States did not own the seals 



THE SECOND CLEVELAND ADMINISTRATION 255 

when found far from the islands, though they laid 
down a set of rules for the protection of these animals. 
But it is found that these rules do not work very well, 
and if something else is not done to save the seals they 
will soon be all killed. 

8. THE SECOND CLEVELAND ADMINISTRATION. 

From 1893 to 1897. 

The Presidential Election of 1892.— In 1892 the 
Republicans nominated for the next term of office 
Benjamin Harrison, who was then President. The 
Democrats nominated Grover Cleveland, who had been 
President from 1885 to 1889. Cleveland was elected 
for a second term of office, and the Democratic party 
gained a majority in both houses of Congress, for the 
first time in many years. 

The World's Columbian Exposition. — One of the 
most important events of this period was a great 
World's Fair, held in Chicago in 1893 in honor of the 
discovery of America by Columbus four hundred years 
before. The buildings were dedicated in October, 1892, 
the anniversary of the discovery. But the Fair was 
not opened until the spring of 1893. It was one of 
great splendor and magnificent proportions, there being 
more than one hundred and fifty buildings, of which 
the largest covered more than thirty acres. The 
exhibits were very attractive and numerous and the 
Fair a great success. It surpassed in beauty and 
extent any held before that time. 

A Great Business Depression. — The second adminis- 
tration of President Cleveland was marked by a great 
falling off in the business of the country, which began 



256 THE NEW UNION 

in 1893 and continued for more than four years. A 
vast number of people were thrown out of employ- 
ment and the business losses were very great. The 
distress of the people was extreme, equalling that of 
the panics of 1837 and 1873. After it passed away 
a period of great business activity prevailed. 

Utah made a State. — Utah had been settled by the 
Mormons, a people whose religious belief permitted 
them to have more than one wife. This was against 
the laws of the country, and Congress passed an act 
to prevent it in 1882. In 1890 the Mormons consented 
to give up polygamy, as the custom was called. There 
were many people in Utah who were not Mormons, 
and who wished it to be made a State. As the laws 
had been obeyed, this was now granted, an Act being 
passed for this purpose in 1893. On January 4, 1896, 
President Cleveland proclaimed the admission of Utah 
as the forty-fifth State of the Union. 

Civil Service Reform. — The civil service reform, 
which for ten years had been the policy of the govern- 
ment, was greatly advanced by President Cleveland 
during his second term, very many office-holders being 
brought under its rules. This has been continued until 
now the old system of the choosing of office-holders by 
politicians has nearly ceased, the great majority of 
these being chosen by examinations into their fitness 
for the various positions. It is also known as the 
merit system, under the principle that only those who 
merit the positions receive them, without regard to 
their political opinions. They are kept in office as 
long as they do their duty, no matter who is elected 
President. 



McKINLEY'S ADMINISTRATION 257 



9. McKINLEY'S ADMINISTRATION. 

From 1897 to 1901. 

The Election of 1896.— In 1896 the Republicans 
nominated William McKinley, of Ohio, for the Presi- 
dency. The Democrats and the Populists (a new 
party) nominated William J. Bryan, of Nebraska. 
The Populist and Democratic parties advocated the 
''free and unlimited coinage of silver and gold at the 
legal ratio of 16 to 1;" the Republicans opposed the 
unlimited coinage of silver. McKinley was the choice 
of the majority, and became President March 4, 1897. 

The Cuban Rebellion. — During President McKinley's 
term of office war broke out and this was its cause. 
The island of Cuba, lying south of Florida, had long 
been a colony of Spain, but its people were so badly 
treated that in 1895 they broke out in rebellion, as 
the Americans had done in 1775. A large army was 
sent from Spain, but it was not able to put down the 
rebellion, and fighting went on for three years. 

The Sinking of the Maine. — In January, 1898, the 
American battle-ship Maine was sent to the harbor of 
Havana, the capital of Cuba. Here a dreadful event 
took place. On the night of February 15 the ship was 
blown up with dynamite, and nearly all on board were 
killed. No less than two hundred and sixty-six persons 
lost their lives, and the ship sank to the bottom of the 
harbor. This terrible affair greatly excited the people 
of the United States, many of whom were eager to go 
to war with Spain. On April 21, Congress demanded 
that Spain should take her soldiers and ships from 
Cuba. This Spain would not do, and war was declared. 
17 



258 THE NEW UNION 

Naval Events. — The war began with a blockade of 
the' Cuban coast by American war-ships, A fleet was 
also sent to the bay of Manila, the capital of the 
Philippine Islands, a colony of Spain in the Pacific 
Ocean. The Spanish fleet here was attacked on May 1, 
and all its ships were burned or sunk. The American 
ships were not injured, and only a few of the sailors 
were wounded. Commodore Dewey, who gained this 
great victory, was made a rear-admiral, and received 
the thanks of Congress. He was afterwards given the 
high rank of Admiral and raised to the head of the navy. 

The Battle of Santiago. — Another Spanish fleet 
crossed the Atlantic Ocean and entered the harbor of 
Santiago de Cuba, where it was blocked up by a strong 
squadron of American ships. An army was sent to 
Santiago, and a battle took place there on the 1st and 
2d of July. Both armies fought bravely, and many 
were killed and wounded on each side; but the Ameri- 
cans gained the victory and the Spanish army was 
driven back into the city. 

The Sinking of the Ships. — On the 3d of July the 
Spanish fleet, under Admiral Cervera, tried to escape 
from the harbor. The ships came out at full speed and 
fled along the coast, followed by the American ships. 
Both sides fired furiously, but the Spanish guns were 
poorly aimed, while nearly every American shot 
reached its mark. All the Spanish ships were sunk 
and many of their sailors killed; but the American 
ships were little injured, and only one man was killed. 

Surrender of the Army. — This victory was soon fol- 
lowed by a surrender of the Spanish army at Santiago, 
the United States government agreeing to transport 



McKINLEY'S ADMINISTRATION 259 

all the soldiers back to Spain. The island of Porto 
Rico was also invaded and surrendered, and the city 
of Manila, the capital of the Philippine Islands, was 
captured by the army and fleet. 

Hawaii Annexed. — During the war with Spain the 
Hawaiian Islands, which lie in the Pacific Ocean 
between America and Asia, were annexed to the 
United States and in 1900 were made a Territory of 




The Sinking of the Spanish Shu.--, 

this country, under the name of Hawaii. They are 
a group of fertile islands, on which are the most 
wonderful volcanoes of the earth. 

Results of the War. — A treaty of peace with Spain 
was signed December 12, 1898, in which Spain gave 
up its claims on Cuba and yielded to the United States 
the Philippine Islands and the islands of Guam in the 
Pacific and Porto Rico in the West Indies. But the 
people of the Philippines were not satisfied with this and 
went to war against the United States and it was two 
years before they were subdued. Since then they have 
been prosperous and well satisfied, being given much 
more liberty than they had under the rule of Spain. 



260 THE NEW UNION 

McKinley and Roosevelt.— In 1900 President Mc- 
Kinley was again elected, having a large majority over 
William J. Bryan, who was once more the Democratic 
candidate. The Vice-President was Theodore Roose- 
velt, who had fought bravely in the war with Spain 
and was then Governor of New York. In the same 
year a census of the people was taken and the popu- 
lation of the United States found to be 76,303,387 
— much more than that of any nation in Europe 
except Russia. 

Murder of the President. — Like Lincoln and Gar- 
field, President McKinley was killed by an assassin. 
He went to Buffalo, New York, in September, 1901, 
to witness a great exhibition of the products of the 
American nations, and on the 6th, while giving a 
reception to the people, was shot by one of those 
who came to shake hands with him. The murderer 
belonged to the society called Anarchists, who seek 
to kill all kings and rulers. The President died on 
September 14, all the people of the country being filled 
with grief at his death. Vice-President Roosevelt 
succeeded him as President. 

10. ROOSEVELT'S ADMINISTRATION. 

From 1901 to J909. 

The Republic of Cuba. — After the close of the 
Spanish War the United States took charge of the 
Island of Cuba until 1902, when that country adopted 
a constitution, elected a President, and began its career 
as an American republic. The United States troops 
were withdrawn on the 20th of May, and Cuba was left 
to govern itself. 



ROOSEVELT'S ADMINISTRATION 261 

A New Department. — A new department was added 
to the government in February, 1903, under the name 
of the Department of Commerce and Labor, its pur- 
pose being to take charge of the interests of American 
commerce and industry. The Departments now con- 
sist of those of State, War, and the Treasury, formed 
in 1789; the Post-Office, in 1794; the Navy, in 1798; 
Justice, in 1820; the Interior, in 1849; Agriculture, in 
1889, and Commerce and Labor, in 1903. The heads 
of these Departments form the members of the Presi- 
dent's Cabinet. 

The Panama Canal. — For many years a French com- 
pany had been trying to excavate a ship-canal from 
the Atlantic to the Pacific, across the Isthmus of 
Panama. In 1902 the United States bought the 
partly-dug canal from the company for $40,000,000 
and undertook to finish the canal. It purchased the 
right of way from the republic of Panama and a large 
force of men is now at work on the canal, which is 
being very rapidly excavated, its completion being 
promised by 1915. 

The Election of 1904. — In 1904 President Roosevelt 
was nominated by the Republicans and was elected 
President of the United States by a very large majority 
over Alton B. Parker, the Democratic candidate. 
Charles W. Fairbanks was elected Vice-President. 

Expositions of Industry. — A World's Fair was held at 
St. Louis in 1904 in honor of the purchase from France 
in 1803 of the great region originally known as Louisiana. 
The display was a splendid one, the grounds were 
beautifully decorated, and the buildings filled with 
objects of interest. In the following year the Lewis 



262 THE NEW UNION 

and Clark expedition (see page 199) was celebrated 
by an attractive Exposition at Portland, Oregon, and 
in 1907 the settlement at Jamestown, Virginia, in 1607, 
was commemorated by an Exposition near Norfolk, 
at which a splendid display was made of the warships 
of the United States and other countries. 

The State of Oklahoma. — In 1889 the western half of 
Indian Territory, known as Oklahoma, which the 
Indians had not occupied, was opened to white settlers 
and soon had a large population. This grew so rapidly 
during the following years that the people asked to have 
it changed from a Territory into a State. In 1906 
Congress passed a bill for this purpose, under which 
the Indian and Oklahoma Territories were to be com- 
bined into a State to be known as Oklahoma. This was 
completed in 1907, when the constitution of the new 
State was accepted by the President. 

The San Francisco Disaster. — ^In 1906 took place the 
most serious disaster ever known in this country. 
An earthquake of great severity shook the coast 
region of California on April 18, causing wide-spread 
damage, especially in the large and flourishing city of 
San Francisco. Many of its finest buildings were ruin- 
ed, hundreds of people killed, and a dreadful fire 
destroyed a great part of the city, inflicting a loss of 
more than $300,000,000. So great was the suffering 
that the charitable people of the country gave millions 
of dollars to buy food and provide shelter for the 
homeless citizens. With wonderful courage they soon 
set to work to rebuild their ruined city. 

Irrigation of the Arid West.— One of the most impor- 
tant Acts of Congress during Roosevelt's first term 



ROOSEVELT'S ADMINISTRATION 263 

was designed for the making of great reservoirs in the 
mountains of the West, for the purpose of carrying 
the waters of the mountain streams by canals to the 
rainless regions of that section. On these mountains 
much snow falls in winter, and when this melts the 
streams are full, while many of them are nearly dry 
during much of the year. Great dams are now being 
built to hold this water in reservoirs so that it may 
be given out slowdy during the farming season and 
spread over the fertile plains below. In this way 
millions of acres are now being watered and vast 
quantities of produce being raised on land that for- 
merly was of no use. 

Natural Resources. — The government is engaged in 
other useful work besides that of saving the waters 
for the dry fields. The woodlands of the United States 
have been greatly wasted by fire and reckless cutting, 
and earnest efforts are being made to prevent this. 
Many acres of the forest land have been set aside as 
government reservations, and lands on which the 
timber has been destroyed are being replanted. 
There are other natural resources of the country which 
the government is seeking to preserve, an important 
one being the fisheries, which were fast becoming 
exhausted. Millions of young fish are now raised and 
planted in the streams and the fish harvest is again 
growing large and valuable.' 

The Roosevelt Policy. — President Roosevelt proved 
himself an earnest reformer and a man of great activity 
and energy in various ways. He succeeded in having 
bills passed preventing the paying back of rebates on 
freight charges by the railroad companies and for- 



264 THE NEW UNION 

bidding the sale of adulterated foods and medicines. 
He also had law suits brought against some of the 
great business corporations which were believed to 
have broken the laws and injured other business men. 
The Portsmouth Peace Conference.— In 1905 Roose- 
velt did much towards bringing to an end the terrible 
war between Russia and Japan. He induced them to 
hold a Peace Conference, which met at Portsmouth, 
New Hampshire, and decided on terms of peace 
between those nations. This gave the President great 
credit abroad and the Nobel peace prize was awarded 
to him in 190G. This is given every year to the man 
who has done most towards aiding the cause of peace. 

11. TAFT'S ADMINISTRATION 
From 1909 to 

The Election of 1908. — President Roosevelt had 
made himself so popular that many wished him to 
run again for the Presidency in 1908. But he declined 
to do so, and William H. Taft, of Ohio, who had been 
Secretary of War in the Roosevelt Cabinet, was nomi- 
nated by the Republican Convention, with James S. 
Sherman, of New York, for Vice-President. William 
J. Bryan was a third time nominated by the Democratic 
Convention and was again defeated, the Republicans 
being successful in the election. 

Tariff Revision. — The platform of the Republican 
party promised to revise the tariff for the best interest 
of the people, and a committee was appointed to con- 
sider the subject, while the President called an extra 
session of Congress in the spring of 1909 for the pur- 
pose of passing a new and more satisfactory tariff bill. 



QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION 265 

Some change seemed needed, for a serious decline in 
business had taken place in the fall of 1907, which many- 
believed to be due in part to the high duties on imported 
goods. A new tariff bill was passed in July, 1909. 
While many of the rates on goods w^re lowered, it did 
not give satisfaction, the feeling of the people being 
shown in the election of 1910, in which so many Demo- 
crats were chosen as to give them a majority in the 
House of Representatives. 

Other Events. — In 1909 ex-President Roosevelt went 
to East Africa on a hunting expedition, obtaining for 
the Smithsonian Institution specimens of many rare 
animals. On his return in the spring of 1910 he had 
a notable reception in Europe, no American having 
ever received greater honors from rulers and people. 
In the new census taken in 1910, the population of 
the United States was shown to be 91,972,267. With 
Alaska, Hawaii, and Porto Rico, the population was 
93,402,151. In 1911 President Taft again called an 
extra session of Congress. Its purpose was to pass a 
bill establishing new trade relations between the United 
States and Canada in which food, lumber and some 
other things would be free from tariff charges and the 
tariff lowered on other goods. The bill was passed, but 
the measure failed in Canada, an election being held 
and the supporters of the measure defeated. 



PART VIII.— QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION. 

1. How many soldiers were in the Union army during the war? 
How many were there at the end of the war? About how many 
Confederate soldiers were there? How many were lost on each 
side? What was the United States debt at the end of the war? 
Where was the most damage done? What was the condition of the 



266 THE NEW UNION 

South after the war? What of the North? What good was accom- 
plished by the war? What is now thought of slaverj^ in the South? 
What did the people think of Abraham Lincoln? 

2. Who succeeded Lincoln as President? What was done by 
the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution? ^Yhat by the 
Fourteenth? How did President Johnson deal with the laws passed 
by Congress on the subject of reconstruction? "What did Congress 
do in consequence? What is meant by impeachment of a President? 
Before what court was President Johnson tried? What was the 
result of the trial? "WTiat problem lay before Congress? What 
kinds of government were established in the South? Of what 
advantage has Alaska been to the United States. 

3. Who was made President in 1868? "Wliat was the Fifteenth 
Amendment to the Constitution? How did the seceded States act 
towards these amendments? When did the last of them come back 
into the Union? What great fire took place in 1871? What was the 
money loss? Where did great forest fires take place in the same 
3'ear? In what other city did a great fire break out the next year? 
What is meant by the "Alabama claims?" ^^^ly did America 
blame England? How was the dispute settled? What simi was 
England required to pay? How have disputes between nations 
usually been settled? \Vhat was the cause of the business panic of 
1873? What effect did it have upon the country? How long did 
it take for business to recover from the panic? Where was a great 
exhibition held in 1876? What did this exhibition teach our people? 
In what has great progress taken place since that time? 

4. Who were the candidates in the Presidential election of 1876? 
How was the dispute about the election settled? Who became 
President? When did gold come into use again as money? In 
what year was yellow fever an epidemic in the South? How did 
the North act? What effect had this on the feeling of the two 
sections? What great strike took place and with what result? 
How was the channel of the Mississippi River deepened? 

5. Who was elected President in 1880? What did he do about 
appointing men to office? What happened to the President? 
What was the feeling of the people? Who became President after 
Garfield's death? What is the Washington Monument? What 
is meant by standard time? Where were exhibitions held? 

6. Who became President in 1885? By what party was he 



QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION 267 

elected? Of what party were all the Presidents between 1861 and 
1885? What terrible event happened in the South in 1886? What 
have the working people done of recent years? When did the 
eight-hour strike take place in Chicago? What was done by the 
anarchists? What is meant by Chinese exclusion? 

7. Who was made President in 1888? Describe the disaster 
at Johnstown, Pennsylvania. What was the purpose of the Pan- 
American Congress? What was the McKinley tariff? What new 
States were admitted in 1889 and 1890? What was the population 
of the United States in 1890? What is meant by the Copyright 
law? What changes were made in the pension list? Wliat in the 
immigration laws? What trouble arose about the seal fisheries? 

8. Who were nominated for the Presidency in 1892? Who 
was elected President? Describe the Columbian World's Fair? 
When did another business depression take place? Wliat new 
State was admitted in 1896? What progress was made in Civil 
Service Reform? 

9. Who became President in 1896? What dreadful event took 
place? Describe the events of the war with Spain, What resulted 
from the war? What territory in the Pacific was annexed? Describe 
the murder of President McKinley. 

10. What West India island became a free republic? What are 
the Departments of the government and who constitute the Presi- 
dent's Cabinet? What is said of the Panama canal? Who was 
elected President in 1904? Where was a great World's Fair held? 
What new State was admitted in 1907? What is said about irri- 
gation and natural resources? What was the Portsmouth Peace 
Conference? 

11. Who was elected President in 1908? Why did he call an 
extra session of Congress? What was the purpose of the Seattle 
exposition? 



PART IX. 

RECENT STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT. 

The Disbanding of the Armies. — When the Civil War 
ended there were more than a milhon of men in the 
armies of the North. These were trained soldiers who 
knew all about the art of war, but had long been re- 
moved from the arts of peace. In old times such an 
army would have set up a kingdom and put their 
leader on the throne. Their generals would have 
become nobles, and spent a life of pride and idleness 
while making the people work for them, as was the 
case in France, about sixty years before, when Napoleon 
Bonaparte made himself emperor. 

What did the army of America do? As fast as the 
soldiers were paid off they laid down their arms and 
returned home, where they at once went to work to 
make a peaceful living. They became farmers, me- 
chanics, merchants, etc., as they had been before the 
war. The generals began to make their living in the 
same quiet way as the men from the ranks. Even 
General Grant and General Lee were not too proud 
to work to earn a living. In a year or two after 
the war the armies had disappeared. Only the few 
soldiers were left that were needed to act as police 
for the nation. 

This was a remarkable result. In the countries of 
Europe to-day there are millions of soldiers, though 
these countries are at peace. Twenty-five thousand 
soldiers were enough to answer all the purposes of the 

268 



RECENT STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT 269 

United States until 1898, when the wars in Cuba and 
the Philippines caused an increase of the army to be 
made. The people of America are not forced to give 
part of their wages to keep up great and useless armies, 
and this is one reason why American workmen are so 
much better off than those of Europe. 

The Electric Cable. — It is in the arts of peace that 
America is now winning its victories. Let us see what 
some of these have been. One of the victories of peace 
came just after the war, when an electric wire, or cable, 
was laid under the ocean from America to Europe and 
people began to send messages to one another under two 
thousand miles of sea. Since that time other cables 
have been laid between Europe and America, and every 
day now our papers print long accounts of what is 
taking place in Europe. They get their news from that 
great distance more quickly than they could have got 
news from a place ten miles away in the last century. 

Telegraph Extension. — In the United States tele- 
graph wires now spread everywhere, and everything of 
importance that takes place is told in the newspapers 
of the whole country a few hours afterwards. There 
are more than two hundred and fifty thousand miles 
of telegraph lines, nearly three times as much as in 
any other country, and enough to go ten times around 
the earth. On these iron or copper wires are used, but 
telegraphing without wires is now growing common, 
the electric current passing through the air and reach- 
ing ships far out at sea and even taking news from 
America to Europe. 

Signal Service. — One of the great benefits of the 
telegraph is its use in the signal service. Every day 



270 RECENT STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT 

the state of the weather in all parts of the country is 
telegraphed to Washington. The reports thus received | 
are carefully studied, and the kind of weather that is 
likely to come is made out and telegraphed in all 
directions. Warnings of storms thus sent are of great 
use to sea-captains and farmers, and there is no one 
who docs not take interest in them. Along the coast 
there are life-saving stations, for the rescue of sailors 
and passengers from wrecked ships. These have 
proved of great service, and many lives have been 
saved by their brave crews. 

Electrical Discoveries. — Electricity had been made 
useful in many other ways. The streets of many of 
our cities and towns are brightly lighted with it, 
and stores and houses also use it for this purpose. 
It is used to run machinery and locomotives. B)'' 
the invention of the telephone men are able to talk 
with one another over many miles of distance in the 
same tones they use in talking face to face. And 
they are even learning how to telephone without the 
use of wires. All this is very wonderful. It seems 
the work of magic. Yet it is as true as wonderful, 
and is the result of thought and industry, not the work 
of magic. 

It is interesting to know that vessels in peril at sea 
can make their danger known by wireless telegraphy. 
In this way, when a great steamship, full of passengers, 
was run into in 1908 and was ready to sink, telegraph 
messages were sent over the waters and other vessels 
came up, so that the lives of all those on board were 
saved. In former times such a thing could not have 
been done and all these people would have perished. 



RECENT STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT 



271 



Railroad Extension.— The railroads have made as 
great progress as the telegraphs. The greatest feat in 
railroad building that the world had known up to that 
time was finished in 1869. This included the Union 
and Central Pacific Railroads, from Omaha, across the 
great plains and the Rocky Mountains, to San Fran- 
cisco. The last spike of this railroad system was 



1 


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191 



Driving the Last Spike Connecting the Union and Central Pacific Railroad. 

driven in May, near Ogden, in the Territory of Utah. 
This spike was connected with the telegraph wires, 
so that, as the blows of the hammer fell on it, they 
were heard in the telegraph offices of the principal 
cities of the East. This was another great triumph of 
the telegraph, for these offices were thousands of miles 
away from where the spike was being driven. Since 
then four other Pacific railroads, two in the North 
and two in the South, have been built. A traveller 
can now go from New York to San Francisco, a dis- 



272 RECENT STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT 

tance of three thousand three hundred miles, in five 
days. He can cross the ocean to Europe in as short 
a time in the fast steamships which now start at 
frequent intervals. 

There are now more than two hundred and forty 
thousand miles of railroad in the United States, — 
more than in all Europe, and nearly as much as in all 
the world outside of this country. These railroads 
have been a wonderful aid to travel. Sixty years ago 
it took a person half a year to go from the State of 
Oregon to Washington City; now he can do it in a 
few days. Thousands of persons travel to-day for 
every one who did so a century ago. Then a man would 
make his will if he were going from New York to 
Boston; now he would hardly think of doing so if he 
were going to China. Railroads are also of the greatest 
use in carrying goods of all kinds from one part of 
the country to another. Without them it would be 
impossible for the great cities of America to exist, 
for they could not get the food their people need. 

The Postal Service. — For a long time the govern- 
ment had been carrying letters for the people; but at 
first very few were carried, and these went very 
slowly. Benjamin Franklin was the first Postmaster- 
General. The cost of the postal service then was great. 
But the railroads made the expense small, while the 
speed became much greater. Before 1850 it cost ten 
cents to send a letter from Philadelphia to Boston. 
The next year it was reduced to three cents for the 
distance of three thousand miles and in 1863 the price 
was made three cents to all parts of the country. 
In 1883 postage was reduced to two cents, and a letter 



RECENT STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT 273 

can now be sent for two cents to England and Ger- 
man}^ and to the Philippine Islands. There are thou- 
sands of letters sent to-day for every one that was 
sent a hundred years ago. 

It is not only by the postal service that news is now 
carried over the United States. The electric telegraph, 
of which we have just spoken, is used by millions of 
people to send messages, not only over land, but under 
the seas, so that every morning the newspapers tell us 
of what took place in all parts of the world the day 
before. Not only messages, but pictures, can be sent 
by telegraph; and by the aid of the wonderful tele- 
phone men can hear the voices of their friends hun- 
dreds of miles away. 

Electric Cars. — For many years the people of our 
cities rode through the streets in cars drawn by horses. 
Electricity has now taken the place of horses for this 
purpose, and cars filled with passengers may be seen 
darting along in a way that seems magical, for no eye 
can behold the power that makes them move. These 
trolley cars, as they are called, run also far into the 
country and from city to city, and in some places 
large engines are moved by electric power. Many 
think that the travel of the future will be largely done 
in electric cars and that the steam locomotive will 
pass away. 

Automobiles. — The horse is of much less use now than 
of old. Not only have cars moved by electric power 
taken the place of this useful animal, but carriages to 
run without horses are coming into use. These are 
moved by small motors, worked by electricity, steam, 
and other sources of power, and are known as auto- 
18 



274 



RECENT STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT 



mobiles. First used largely in France, they have come 
into common use in this country, and there are thou- 
sands of them in our cities. Those who cannot afford 
an automobile may ride about on bicycles, a two- 
wheeled vehicle in which the power is usually supplied 
by the muscles of the rider. 

The New Navy. — In the past battle-ships were built 
of wood and high masts, with a great sweep of sail. 



tL. 


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^ni 







C'upyri.:;lit I'tuT, by Underwood and Underwood, New York. 
Modern Battle-Ships. 

At present war-vessels are covered with thick plates 
of steel, and are moved by powerful steam-engines. 
The fleets that once proudly swept the seas would 
soon be sent to the bottom by the great rifled cannons 
now in use. The nations of Europe have built them- 
selves large navies of this kind. The United States long 
had the old-fashioned monitors of the Civil War, but 
now possesses a new navy, some of whose vessels are 
among the swiftest and strongest in the world. New 



RECENT STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT 275 

vessels are added every year, and the navy of the 
United States now ranks next to that of Great Britain 
among the navies of the nations. In 1908 its power 
was shown by the voyage of a great fleet of American 
battle-ships around the world. 

Increase of Population. — The population of the 
United States in 1790, when the first census was taken, 
was less than four millions. In the year 1910 it was 
nearly ninety-two millions, an addition of more than 
eighty-eight millions in little over a century. This is 
a great increase. If this rate of growth continues the 
United States will soon have the greatest population 
of any enlightened nation of the earth. 

The people of Europe are coming here in great mul- 
titudes every year; at present they number more than 
a million in each year. These spread over all parts of 
the country, and are very useful as farmers, laborers, 
and mechanics. Many of them, however, are very 
ignorant and do not make good citizens. There are 
laws to prevent paupers and some other classes from 
entering the country, and it is proposed to keep out 
all who cannot read or write. Other restrictions will, 
no doubt, in time be made, so that only the more 
desirable classes of immigrants can be admitted. 

The Indians. — The Indians, who once had possession 
of the whole country, are now collected on reservations 
in the West. They are so few in number that these 
reservations are very thinly peopled. There has been 
no fighting for many years with the Indians, and there 
is not likely to be any more. They are provided with 
food by the government, but many of them are work- 
ing for themselves. Some of the tribes of the former 



276 RECENT STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT 

Indian Territory are becoming civilized. They long 
held their lands in common; but these are now being 
divided among some tribes into farms, so that each 
Indian family may have its own farm. It is thought 
that they will become more contented and industrious 
when this is completed. 

One of the great means taken to civilize the Indians 
is by education. Schools have been started at various 
points, in which Indian children are taught the ele- 
ments of knowledge, the use of tools, and the benefits 
of industry. These schools are proving very useful, 
and many young Indians are going back to their 
tribes with trained hands and cultivated minds. In 
a few years these young men will become leaders in 
the tribes and do much to bring them into habits 
of civihzation. The days of the wild Indians of this 
country are nearly over. In the future we shall have 
working and thinking Indians to take their place. 

Increase of Wealth. — In the years that have passed 
since the close of the war the United States has grown 
greatly in riches. In 1880, Great Britain was the only 
country in the w^orld that had more wealth. By 1900 
the United States had become the richest country on 
the earth. Part of this wealth comes from the product 
of the American mines. The mines of the West yield 
a large value in gold and silver yearl}^; but the iron, 
coal, copper, and other mines of the country are still 
more valuable. And of much greater value is the soil, 
which yields more food than all the people of the United 
States can consume. 

Manufacturing Industries. — Another great source of 
this wealth is the manufacturing industry of the 



RECENT STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT 277 

United States, which produces thousands of millions 
of dollars' worth of goods yearly. In former times most 
of the articles used in this country were brought from 
Europe, but now many things are sent from here to 
Europe. American watches are the cheapest in the 
world, and no better are made anywhere. Many other 
things came from abroad, such as glassware, fine 
furniture, soap, writing-paper, perfumery, carriages, 
and numerous other articles; now we make more than 
we can use of these goods, and send many of them to 
other countries. 

At one time all our fine knives, tools, and other 
articles made of steel came from Sheffield, in Eng- 
land, and only coarse cutlery and tools were made 
here; now American cutlery is sent to Sheffield and 
sold there. Years ago nearly all our carpets were 
brought from England; but now the cit}^ of Phila- 
delphia is the greatest carpet manufacturing city in 
the world. The same could be said of many other 
things. The United States sends to other countries 
to-day great quantities of manufactured goods, meat, 
and grain. We produce so much more than we can 
use that there is plenty left to sell to other countries. 

Invention of Machinery. — This great progress is due 
to the remarkable inventive power of the Americans. 
In machinery for saving labor the United States is in 
advance of all other nations. Our inventors are so 
active that more than twenty-two thousand patents 
have been granted in a single year. Machines are 
made to do all kinds of work. Farmers do not have to 
work half so hard as they once did, and yet they pro- 
duce much more. The same may be said of every 



278 RECENT STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT 

kind of manufacturing business. A hundred years 
ago the printing-press could only print two hundred 
and fifty sheets on one side in an hour; now forty 
thousand sheets can be printed on both sides in the 
same time. 

Progress of the South. — This progress is not confined 
to the North and West. The South is making great 
progress also. At the end of the war the Southern 
States were in a condition of ruin. Only their soil 
was left, and much of that had been so overworked 
that it was of no value. The slaves on whom they 
had depended to do their work were free. It looked 
as if it would take a century to recover from the ruin 
of the war. 

Yet the South to-day is richer and better off than it 
ever was. Free labor has proved more profitable than 
slave labor, and the crops of cotton and other produce 
are greater than ever. And the white population 
has gone to work nobly and cheerfully. The country 
is now being developed everywhere. Iron and coal 
mines are now being opened and worked, and work- 
shops and factories are being built in many parts of 
the South. Great exhibitions have been held at New 
Orleans, Atlanta, and Charleston, in which the prog- 
ress of the South was shown. In the time to come the 
whole country will be one great hive of industry, and 
all parts will work together for the good of the whole. 

The Pacific States. — While there has been great 
progress in the older parts of the country, the same 
may be said of the far West. There are no more pro- 
ductive States in the Union than those that border 
on the Pacific. For many miles inland from the ocean 



RECENT STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT 279 

the land is very fertile and the crops are large, fruits 
being especially fine and plentiful. The orchards of 
Oregon and Washington and the vineyards and orange 
groves of California are nowhere surpassed. 

In the mountain regions of the "West little rain falls 
and much of the country is a desert. But the water 
of the rivers and mountain streams is carried to the 
fields in long canals, from which many small ditches 
convey it to the soil. This sj^stem is called irrigation, 
and large crops are raised by its aid. Great herds of 
cattle and sheep are also kept, and the mountains are 
covered with forests of valuable timber, many of the 
trees being of immense size. 

Mining. ^But the great value of the Sierra Nevada 
and Rocky Mountains lies in their mines of the preci- 
ous metals and other valuable minerals. Gold, silver, 
lead, and copper are abundant, and rich deposits of 
many other minerals are found. No part of the world 
has yielded more gold than California, but Colorado 
is now the greatest producer of gold. Nevada and 
Colorado have proved very rich in silver; others of the 
Western States have mines of gold, silver, copper, 
iron, lead, etc. 

Gold in Alaska. — For a numbe-r of years men had 
been mining gold in Alaska, and in the summer of 
1897 the news came that rich deposits of placer gold 
had been found on the Klondike, a branch of the great 
Yukon River. The region was cold and barren, and 
very difficult to reach; but thousands of miners went 
there, though there was danger that they might starve 
from lack of food. It is now easy to get there by 
railroad and steamboat. 



280 



RECENT STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT 



Gold has been found since in great abundance 
at Cape Nome, on the coast of Alaska. In placer 
deposits the gold is found in the sands and gravels 
along the rivers, having been washed from the quartz 
veins in the mountains. To obtain it the earth is dug 
up and the sand and dirt washed from the gold by run- 



:-;^^' 



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Gold Miners in Alaska. 

ning water. In Alaska the ground is frozen, and must 
be softened by fires before the gold-bearing soil can be 
obtained. This is done in the winter, and the earth is 
w^ashed when the streams begin to flow in the summer. 
Petroleum and Natural Gas. — Another great source 
of wealth in this country is its vast supply of petro- 
leum, or rock oil, which is found far below the surface. 
It is reached by boring deep wells, from which the oil 



RECENT STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT 281 

flows or is pumped up. Petroleum is abundant in 
Pennsylvania and some other States, and is much 
used for burning and other purposes. Many of these 
wells also yield large quantities of what is known as 
natural gas, which burns with a bright flame and great 
heat. It is used for lighting and warming houses and 
in factories, and is conveyed from the wells in pipes 
to distant towns and cities, where it takes the place 
of coal in manufactories. 

Fish Culture. — The lakes and rivers of the United 
States, and the waters of the neighboring oceans, are 
rich in fishes, many of wdiich are very valuable as food. 
But fishing has been so active and reckless that the 
supply is growing small, and there has long been danger 
that this great source of wealth would fail. This is 
prevented by what is known as fish culture. Every 
year many millions of fish-eggs are hatched out by 
artificial means and the young fish cared for until they 
are able to care for themselves. They are then placed 
in the open waters, and in a few years are large enough 
to catch. In this way the supply of fish is likely to be 
kept up, no matter how many may be caught in the 
fishermen's nets. 

Commerce. — The grain and cotton grown and the 
goods made in the United States are sent to all parts 
of the earth and other goods are brought back. This 
ocean commerce has increased rapidly in recent years, 
the total value of these goods being now over S3, 500,- 
000,000 yearly. And the goods sent out are worth 
several hundreds of millions of dollars more than those 
received, so that we have a large balance of trade in 
our favor, which we receive in money. 



282 RECENT STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT 

Education. — If we look for the causes of this great 
progress we shall find that one of the most important 
is education. The people of the United States are 
among the best educated on the face of the earth. 
In 1900 there were a great multitude of public schools 
in the country, with over sixteen million pupils. There 
are now many more than this. Besides these, there 
are more than four hundred colleges and a very con- 
siderable number of private schools. Our people 
spend more for the support of their public schools 
than the people of all Europe. In this way we are being 
taught to use our brains as well as our hands, and it is 
this brain-work which keeps the country so active in 
every direction. 

School-life is not ended when the school-term of the 
boy or girl is over. We go to school all our lives, and 
our education is all the time increasing. Newspapers 
and books constantly add to the learning gained in the 
school-house. There are now over twenty thousand 
new^spapers and magazines in the United States, there 
being enough newspapers printed every week to give 
one to every man, woman, and child in the country. 
Books are also printed in such numbers that every 
one can have all the reading he needs for very little 
money. A century ago many of the people could not 
get one new book a year. Many now get a new one 
almost every day. 

Every city has its libraries, its art galleries, and other 
means for the higher education of the people. Educa- 
tion is spreading in new directions. Instruction in 
industry is one of the new ideas of the times. Children 
are being taught to draw and to use tools, and are thus 



QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION 283 

being made fit for the business of life; for in life the 
body has to be used as well as the brain, and to make 
the best kind of a man the body and the brain of the 
child need to be educated together. 

Benevolence. — Of one more thing we may speak. 
The people of the United States are developing in 
charity as well as in other directions. Everywhere we 
see hospitals, asylums, and homes which have been 
started by the money of rich people. Whenever a 
great fire takes place, or a great storm destroys farms 
and villages, the people give money freely to help the 
destitute. This is the best kind of progress. It is 
progress in that love for all mankind which was taught 
by Christ. Let us hope that it will grow and spread 
in this country, for in that way the people of America 
may be made the noblest and the happiest of all the 
people of the earth. 



PART IX.— QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION. 

How many soldiers were in arms at the end of the war? What 
would such an army have done in old times? What did the Ameri- 
can army do? What advantage do we get from the Atlantic cables? 
How many miles of telegraph line are there in the United States? 
How does this compare with the telegraphs of other countries? 
What is the purpose of the signal service? To whom is it of great 
use? In what ways is electricity used? What does the telephone 
enable men to do? What great feat in railroad building was finished 
in 1S69? Describe the event of driving the last spike. WTiat other 
Pacific railroads are there? How long does it take to go from 
New York to San Francisco? How long to Europe? How many 
miles of railroad are there in the United States? How does this 
compare with Europe and the world? How has it affected travel? 
In what oth?r ways are the railroads useful? How many post- 



284 RECENT STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT 

offices were there in the United States in 1790? How many are 
there now? How much faster are letters carried now than then? 
What was the rate of postage then? What is it now? "Wliat can 
5'ou say about the electric street-cars? WTiat about the use of 
bicycles and of motor carriages? AVhat changes have taken place 
in our navy? What has been the increase in population? How 
many persons come here from Europe? How are the Indians cared 
for? What means are taken to civilize them? In what way are 
the Indian schools useful? Which is the richest country in the 
world? What are important sources of the wealth of America? 
What kinds of goods did we formerly get from abroad? What do 
we now send abroad? To what do we owe our great progress in 
manufacturing? How many patents have been granted in a single 
year? Do people have to work as hard as they did? What advance 
has been made in the art of printing? What changes have taken 
place in the South? What is said of the Pacific States? What of 
the products of the mines? Of the gold of Alaska? What other 
great source of natural wealth can you name? Tell what you 
know about fish culture. About the commerce of this country. 
Wliat progress has been made in education? How many newspapers 
and magazines are there at the present time? How have the num- 
ber of books increased in this country? What other means of edu- 
cation have the cities? WTiat new idea is there in education? What 
is said about benevolence in America? In what ways do people 
give mone}' freely? What eff"ect is progress in this direction likely 
to have upon the American people? 



Table of States and Territories. 



Name. 



Delaware . . 
Pennsylvania 
New Jersey . . 
Georgia . . . 
Connecticut . 
Massachusetts 
Maryland . . 



South Carolina . 
New Hampshire 
Virginia .... 
New York . . . 
North Carolina . 
Rhode Island . 



Vermont . 
Kentucky- 
Tennessee 
Ohio . . . 

Louisiana 
Indiana . 
Mississippi 
Illinois . . 



Alabama . 
Maine . . 
Missouri . 
.\rkansas . 
Michigan 
Florida. . 
Texas . . 



Iowa . . . 
Wisconsin 



California .... 
Minnesota .... 

Oregon 

Kansas 

West Virginia . . 

Nevada 

Nebraska .... 

Colorado 

North Dakota . . 
South Dakota . . 

Montana 

Washington . . . 

Idaho 

Wyoming . . . , 

Utah 

Oklahoma 

New Mexico .... 

Arizona 

District of Columbia 

Alaska 

Hawaii 



Origin of Name. 



In honor of Lord Delaware . . 

Penn's woodland 

From the Island of Jersey . . 

In honor of George II 

Indian — long river 

Indian — at the great hill . . . 

In honor of Henrietta Maria, 
wife of Charles I 

In honor of Charles II 

From Hampshire, England . . 

In honor of Queen Elizabeth . 

In honor of the Duke of York 

In honor of Charles II 

Dutch— Rood (Red) Island, or, 
from the Isle of Rhodes . . . 

French — green mountains . . 

Indian — probably hunting 
land 

Indian — crooked river .... 

Indian — beautiful river. . . . 

In honor of Louis XIV. . . . 

From the word " Indian" . . 

Indian — great river 

From name of river and In- 
dian confederacy 

Indian — here we rest 

The main land 

Indian — muddy river 

Indian — after its main river . 

Indian— g:reat sea 

Spanish — flowery 

Indian — name of a tribe or 
confederacy 

Indian — meaning doubtful . . 

Indian — probably gathering 
waters 

Spanish — from an old romance 

Indian — cloudy water .... 

Meaning doubtful 

Indian — meaning doubtful . . 

From Virginia 

Spanish — snowy mountains . 

Indian — shallow water . . . 

Spanish— red or ruddy . . . . 

Indian — the allies ...... 

Indian— the allies 

Spanish — moiitana. amountain 

In honor of Washington . . . 

Indian— gem of the mountains 

Indian — broad plains 

Indian — mountain home . . . 

Indian — fine country .... 

From Mexico . 

Meaning do\ibt£ul 

From Columbus 

Indian — great, or main land . 

Given bv the Natives .... 



< . 

< a 

ft 



1787 
1787 
1787 
1788 
17S8 
1788 

1788 
1788 
1788 
1788 
1788 
1789 

,1790 
1791 

1792 
1796 
1803 
1812 
1816 
1817 

1818 
1819 
1820 
1821 
1836 
1837 
1815 

1845 
1846 

1848 
1850 
1858 
1859 
1861 
1863 
1864 
1867 
1876 
1889 
1889 
1889 
1889 
1890 
1890 
1896 
1907 
1912 
1912 



s s 



2,050 
45,215 

7,815 
59,475 

4,990 

8,315 

12,210 
30,570 
9,305 
42,450 
49,170 
52,250 

1,250 
9,565 

40,400 
42,050 
41,060 
48,720 
36,350 
46,810 

56,650 
52,250 
33,040 
69,415 
53,850 
58,915 
58,680 

265,780 
56,025 

56,040 

1.58,360 
83,365 
96,030 
82,080 
24,780 

110,700 
77,510 

103,925 
70,795 
77,650 

146,080 
69.180 
84.800 
97,890 
84,970 
70,430 

122,580 

113,020 
70 

577,390 
6,740 



202,322 
7,665,111 
2,537,167 
2,609,121 
1,114,756 
3,366,416 

1,295,346 
1,51.5,400 
430,572 
2,061,612 
9,113,279 
2,206,287 

542,610 
355,956 

2,289,905 
2,184,789 
4,767,121 
1,656,388 
2,700,876 
1,797,114 

5,638,591 
2,138,093 

742,371 
3,293,335 
1,574,449 
2,810,173 

751,139 

3,896,542 
2,224,771 

2,333,860 

2,377,549 

2,075,708 

672.765 

1,690,949 

1,221,119 

81,875 

1,192,214 

799,024 

577,0.56 

583,888 

376,053 

1,141.990 

325,594 

145,965 

373,351 

1,6.57,155 

327,301 

204,354 

331,069 

64,356 

191,909 



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HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA. 



1. THE PERIOD OF SETTLEMENT. 

The Natives. — When white men first came to the 
region now known as Pennsylvania, they found it 
occupied by several tribes of Indians. In the eastern 
part was a tribe which they named Delawares, from 
the name given to the river on which they dwelt. Their 
native title was Lcnni Lenape. Farther west, in the 
mountain country along the Susquehanna River, dwelt 
the Monseys or Wolf tribes, and in the north, extend- 
ing into New York, were a number of tribes known to 
the natives as Mingoes, but called Iroquois by the 
French and the Five Nations by the English. The 
Delawares were not warlike. They had been conquered 
by the Mingoes, and could not go to war or make 
treaties without their consent. Thus the first whites 
had a peaceful people to deal with. 

The Dutch Arrive. — In 1609, Captain Henry Hudson, 
sent by the Dutch to this country, sailed a short dis- 
tance into Delaware Bay. From there he sailed to the 
Hudson River. The Dutch called this the North River 
and the Delaware the South River, and claimed as 
their own all the territory between them. In 1623, 
Captain Mey, whose name was given to Cape May 
(though time has made a change in the spelling), sailed 
up the South River and built a fort a few miles below 
the site of Philadelphia, near the present city of Glou- 
cester, New Jersey. This fort was soon abandoned, 

2S5 



286 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

but in 1G31 a Dutch settlement was made near the 
present site of Lewes, Delaware. It did not last long, 
however, its people quarrelling with the Indians, who 
killed them all within a year. 

The Swedes. — The Dutch had at this time a thriving 
settlement at the mouth of the Hudson, and the king 
of Sweden thought that he would also like to possess a 
colony in America, so he sent out in 1G38 two ship-loads 
of colonists. These crossed the ocean to the South 
River, up which they sailed, the Swedes being so pleased 
with the appearance of the surrounding country that 
they called it Paradise. Some of them settled near 
Brandywinc Creek, others near Chester and Darby 
Creeks, and in 1642 Governor Printz built himself a 
mansion on Tinicum Island and made this the seat of 
government. A town was afterwards laid out on 
Chester Creek and named Upland (now Chester). 

Other Swedes soon came and settled at various points 
along the river, some of them as far north as the site of 
Philadelphia. For defence against the Indians they 
built log forts or block-houses. But they were friendly 
and honest in their dealings with the natives and kept 
on good terms with them, so that there were no quarrels 
and the forts were not needed. 

The Dutch Conquest. — The Dutch of New Amster- 
dam were not pleased with the coming of the Swedes. 
They claimed all the land along the South River as their 
own, and it was not long before they made war on the 
new settlers. In 1G55 a Dutch fleet filled with soldiers 
sailed up the river, and all the Swedish forts were taken. 
But the private rights of the Swedes were not inter- 
fered with, and they remained on the land, though it 



THE PERIOD OF SETTLEMENT 287 

was governed by the Dutch. A Swedish ship filled 
with colonists sailed up the river the next year. The 
Dutch tried to stop it, but the Indians Interfered in 
behalf of their friends the Swedes, and the ship was 
permitted to proceed. In it were the pioneer settlers 
on the site of Philadelphia. 

The English Come. — Nine years after the Dutch the 
English asserted their prior claim to the land. They 
took possession of New Amsterdam and named it New 
York, and in 1664 they sailed up the Delaware and 
captured the Dutch fort at New Castle. That was the 
last of Dutch rule in North America, except in the years 
1673 and 1674, when, during a war between England 
and Holland, the latter country took and held for a 
time its old possessions. But the Dutch and Swedish 
settlers lived happily enough under English rule. 

Naming the River. — The South River, as the Dutch 
called it, was named by the Swedes the New Swedeland 
River. The English, on gaining possession, called the 
river and bay by the name of Delaware, after Lord De 
la Ware, governor of Virginia, who had visited the bay 
many years before. 

The Friends. — The religious sect know^n as the 
Friends, or Quakers, who had been cruelly treated in 
England, began about this time to look upon America 
as a place of refuge, and a number of them came over 
and settled in western New Jersey, wdiere William 
Penn and others had bought lands. George Fox, the 
founder of the society, visited them here in 1673. In 
1675 some of them crossed the Delaw^are and settled 
near Upland. A few years afterwards, when they 
heard that William Penn had been granted the land 



288 



HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 



west of the river, others crossed and sought homes 
and farms in the country near Upland. 

William Penn. — The sect of Friends was at first 
made up of poor people of England, but some persons 
of higher station soon joined it. Among them was 

the William Penn above 
mentioned, who was the 
son of Admiral Penn of 
the British navy. The 
young convert was a 
friend of the king, Charles 
II., and of his brother, 
the Duke of York, and 
had great influence at 
court, which he used for 
the benefit of the suffer- 
ing Friends. His father 
had left him a large claim 
against the English gov- 
ernment, and, as the king 
could not pay him the 
money, he asked for a 
grant of that tract of land 
in America which lay west of the Delaware River and 
between the provinces of Maryland and New York. 

Penn's Grant. — This the king was very willing to give 
him. The patent for the grant was carefully written 
on parchment, and is still preserved, being kept in the 
executive chamber at Harrisburg. The land granted 
to Penn was to extend westward through five degrees of 
longitude, to be bounded on the east by the Delaware 
River, on the north by the forty-third degree of north 




William Penn's Desk. 



THE PERIOD OF SETTLEMENT 



289 



latitude, and on the south by the arc of a circle begin- 
ning on the river twelve miles north of New Castle and 
drawn westward to the fortieth degree of north lati- 
tude, which it was to follow to the western boundary. 

The Southern Boundary. — The terms of this grant 
afterwards led to a dispute with Lord Baltimore. The 
curved Hne drawn twelve miles from New Castle was 
found to lie a number of miles south of the fortieth 
parallel of latitude, which runs near 
Philadelphia. Penn claimed that 
the fortieth degree began as soon as 
the thirty-ninth was passed. Lord 
Baltimore claimed that his grant 
extended to the fortieth parallel. 
The one claim would have placed 
Philadelphia on the southern bor- 
der of the State, the other would 
have placed the border nearly sev- 
enty miles south of that city, as 
far south as Baltimore. The dis- 
pute was not settled till 1761, when 
the English courts fixed the line 
midway between the thirty-ninth 
and fortieth parallels. Two English engineers, Charles 
Mason and Jeremiah Dixon, then surveyed and marked 
out the boundary line. It is still known as Mason and 
Dixon's line and some of the stones they set up to mark 
its course may still be seen where they placed them. 

The Coming of the People. — The grant was signed 
by Charles II. on March 4, 1681, the new province 




Stone, showing Arms of 
Lord Baltimore, mark- 
ing THE Mason and Dixon 
Line.* 



* Illustration from photograph of the original in possession of the Maryland 

Historical Society. 
19 



290 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

being named by him Pennsylvania, or Penn's Wood- 
land. William Markham, Penn's cousin, was made 
deputy-governor, and reached Pennsylvania in June, 
1G81. A court was held at Upland in September, one 
of its first acts being to forbid the sale of intoxicating 
liquors to the Indians. It was known that such sale 
was likely to cause trouble and perhaps lead to blood- 
shed. Three ships loaded with emigrants left England 
that year, in one of which came the commissioners who 
were to examine the land and the river and choose a 
suitable spot for the city which Penn proposed to found. 
He gave orders that the houses of this city should be 
built in the middle of large plots, "that there may be 
ground on each side for gardens, or orchards, or fields, 
that it may be a green country town which will never 
be burnt and always wholesome." 

The Site of Philadelphia. — Penn also sent messages of 
good- will to the Indians, which they received with joy, 
for they wished to dwell in peace with the whites. In 
1682, there were about two thousand white people in 
the province, mostly Swedes. At Wicaco, on the site 
of Philadelphia, was a Swedish church, which had been 
built as a block-house in 1669. There was a Friends' 
meeting-house at Shackamaxon (afterwards Kensing- 
ton). These buildings were on the ground which the 
commissioners selected for the new city, its location, 
between the Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers, seeming 
to them very suitable for the purpose. For this city 
Penn had chosen the name of Philadelphia, or "Broth- 
erly love," hoping to make it a home of kindly feeling, 
honor, and justice. 



THE PERIOD OF SETTLEMENT 



291 



Penn's Arrival.— On the 30th of August, 1682, 
William Penn left England in the ship Welcome, and 
reached the town of New Castle on October 27. About 
one hundred emigrants sailed with him, but thirty of 
them died of small-pox on tlie voyage. He reached 
Upland probably on the 28th. It is said that on see- 
ing it he turned to his friend Pearson and asked, 
"What wilt thou that I should call this place?" 
Pearson answered, "Chester," the name of the Eng- 




^:J5^^^ 



Pf.nx's I.AxniNr. at Esskx House, Chester. 

lish town from which he had come. Some writers say 
that this story is doubtful, but it is certain that Penn 
named the place Chester, its good old name of Upland 
being lost. 

The new owner of the province at once called a court, 
to meet at New Castle on November 2. Here the claims 
of the people to their lands were made good, and they 
were told that they should be governed by laws of 
their own making. It is proper to state that the terri- 
tory now known as the State of Delaware, claimed by 



292 fflSTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

the Duke of York, the brother of the king, had been 
granted by him to Penn, who thus owned the land on 
the west as far south as the mouth of Delaware Bay. 
It is not known on what day Penn went to Philadelphia. 
There is a tradition that he went there from Chester in 
an open boat with some friends. We know that he was 
there on the 8th of November, 1GS2. 

Treaty with the Indians. — We are told that the pro- 
prietor made himself very friendly to the Indians, 
walking and sitting with them and eating some of their 
roasted acorns and hominy. When they began to show 
how they could hop and jump, he won their respect by 
showing them that he could do better than the best of 
them at this exercise. Soon after he made an agree- 
ment or treaty with them, to which the different tribes 
are said to have sent delegates, and in which it was 
agreed that ''The Indians and the English will live in 
love as long as the sun and moon shall endure." Tradi- 
tion says that this was done under a great elm-tree at 
Shackamaxon, which was blown down by a storm in 
1810. There is now a monument on the spot, with a 
small park around it, though it is doubtful if any 
formal treaty took place. 

The City and Province. — The new city was laid out 
in 1683, with streets crossing at right angles, those 
running north and south being named Front, Second, 
etc., those running westward from the Delaware being 
named Chestnut, Walnut, Spruce, etc., after the forest- 
trees. Midway between the rivers ran a wide street 
named Broad Street, and midway in the other direction 
a wide street named High (now Market) Street. Where 
these two streets crossed a public square was laid out. 



THE PERIOD OF SETTLEMENT 293 

It was known as Centre, and afterwards as Penn, 
Square, but is now occupied by the Philadelphia City 
Hall. The province was divided into three counties, 
Philadelphia, Chester, and Bucks. The territory of 
Delaware was also laid out in three counties. Several 
Swedes had farms on the site of Philadelphia, but 
Penn paid them for their lands, as he also paid the 
Indians for all lands taken from them. No land was 
occupied by him without the consent of the owners. 

The First Assembly. — The new proprietor did not 
think he had the right to make laws for the people. 
He had promised them a free government by their own 
representatives, and at once ordered an election to take 
place. The delegates elected met at Chester on Decem- 
ber 4, 1682, and formed there the first legislative assem- 
bly of Pennsylvania. This assembly was in session 
three days, in which it passed ''The Great Law," a 
system of government which Penn had carefully pre- 
pared. This gave the people the right to make their 
own laws, all who believed in the Deity the right to 
worship as they pleased, and all tax-payers the right 
to vote and hold office, and forbade swearing, blas- 
phemy, gambling, play-acting, and drunkenness under 
penalty of fine and imprisonment. Prisons were de- 
clared to be work-houses, where felons were to be 
reformed and taught some useful trade. This was 
a great improvement on the English prisons of that 
time. 

Courts were provided for and also a council to assist 
the governor in the discharge of his duties. The council 
had no share in the making of the laws, its powers being 
confined to putting them in force. Pennsylvania thus 



294 



HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 



had a single law-making body, while each of the other 
colonies had a double one. At the first session of the 
council, in March, 1GS3, it tried a woman for witchcraft, 
the only case of this kind ever tried in Pennsylvania. 
The accused was declared not guilty. 




Merion Meeting House, Where William Penn Attended a Meeting. 



New Settlers Arrive. — In August, 1683, Penn wrote 
home that there were about eighty houses already in 
the city. In October a colony of Germans arrived and 
founded the village of Germantown, six miles from 
Philadelphia. Some of these lived for a time in caves 
which the first settlers had dug for homes along the 
river bank. A Welsh settlement had been made in 
1682. The Welsh were not liked by the English and 
were not welcomed in Philadelphia. They went back 
into the wilderness and founded the townships of 



THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PROVINCE 295 

Merion and Haverford, now parts of Montgomery and 
Chester Counties. Many Friends came from England 
and settled at Philadelphia, Chester, Darby, and along 
the Delaware River as far up as the falls. 

The Growth of the Colony. — When Penn set out for 
home, which was on the 12th of August, 1684, the 
province is said to have had about seven thousand 
inhabitants, of whom twenty-five hundred were in 
Philadelphia, which was then a city of over three hun- 
dred houses and with many ships sailing to foreign 
ports. The people were made up of Swedes, Finns, 
Dutch, English, Welsh, and Germans, to whom were 
soon added Scotch, Irish, and French. The last named 
were Huguenots, or Protestants, who had fled from 
religious persecution at home, as had also many of the 
Germans. 

A large body of Swiss Mennonites came in 1709, also 
on account of religious persecution. They settled at first 
in Germantown, but in 1712 formed a settlement at 
Pequea, in the later organized Lancaster County. This 
was a beautiful and fertile valley, and many Germans 
afterwards settled there. Before 1727 there were nearly 
fifty thousand settlers in Pennsylvania, very many of 
whom were Germans, and the settlements extended as 
far west as the Susquehanna and its tributaries. 

2. THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PROVINCE. 

Disputes in the Assembly. — After Penn went home 
disputes arose between the assembly and the council. 
The members from Delaware (then known as the 
Territories) also quarrelled with those from the prov- 
ince, and in 1691 they withdrew and the people of the 



296 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

Territories elected an assembly of their own. Penn 
gave them a separate governor, so that there were now 
two assemblies and two deputy-governors. They were 
united again by Governor Fletcher in 1G93, but finally 
separated in 1702, Delaware then becoming an inde- 
pendent province, though both remained under one 
governor until 1776. 

Penn Arrested. — Meanwhile, there were troublous 
times in England. King Charles died in 1GS5, and the 
Duke of York became king as James II., but he proved 
so great a tyrant that the people rebelled and drove 
him from the kingdom in 1688, and William, Prince 
of Orange, became king. William Penn had been a 
friend of King James, and in consequence was arrested 
for treason in 1692 and his province taken from him 
and placed under Governor Fletcher of New York. 
This governor acted like a tyrant, and the people were 
very glad when they heard in 1694 that Penn had been 
cleared of the charge of treason and his province 
restored to him. 

The Proprietor Returns. — It was not until 1699 that 
the proprietor was able to return to his province. He 
had been detained by difficulties and misfortunes in 
England, and came back to find the people in trouble 
and dismay. That dreadful scourge, the yellow fever, 
had broken out, and many of them had died. But they 
were cheered by the coming among them of their true 
friend, and the assembly was at once called to meet 
in Philadelphia and revise the laws of which complaints 
had been made. 

Slave=Holding. — One question to be dealt with was 
that of slavery. Penn had found slaves in the province 



THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PROVINCE 297 

in 1682, and made no objection to their presence. The 
Germans of Germantown protested against slave- 
holding in 1688, but it was not until 1696 that the 
Friends took any steps to check it. A bill for the aboli- 
tion of slavery was brought before the assembly in 
1699, but the only action taken was to give the slaves 
the benefit of a legal trial when charged with wrong- 
doing. An effort was made to stop the sale of liquor 
to the Indians, but the frontiersmen could not be 
controlled and the sale went on. 

Penn's Return to England. — Penn now proposed to 
make Pennsylvania his future home, a mansion having 
been built for him at Pennsbury on the Delaware, about 
twenty-five miles above Philadelphia. He moved 
thither in 1700. But news came from England that 
there was a bill before Parliament for the purpose of 
doing away with proprietary governments in America 
and placing all the provinces under the king. He felt 
it necessary to go back to defend his rights, and did 
so in 1701, leaving a governor and granting a new con- 
stitution, which gave the people an increase of power. 
The new charter made Philadelphia a corporate city, 
Edward Shippen being chosen as its first mayor. 

War Troubles; Governor Evans's Scheme. — The next 
event of importance in the history of Pennsylvania 
arose from what is known as Queen Anne's War, in 
which the French and Indians of Canada made attacks 
upon the English colonies. There were two parties 
now in the province, the Friends and some sects of 
Germans who were opposed to war, and those of other 
beliefs who thought that money and men should be 
provided for defence against the enemy. 



298 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

The peace party was the strongest in the assembly 
and council, but the governor was opposed to it and 
raised a company of soldiers. Governor Hamilton 
died in 1703 and was succeeded by John Evans, who 
also favored war, but who turned the people against 
him by playing a trick upon them. On the day of the 
annual fair in Philadelphia, when the streets were filled 
with people from the country, a messenger came in 
great haste from New Castle and said that Spanish 
ships were in the river and would soon attack the city. 

Governor Evans now mounted his horse and rode 
at full speed through the streets, sword in hand, calling 
on the people to arm for defence. His action threw 
the city into panic and confusion, the shipping was 
hurried away up the river, articles of value were hidden, 
and for some hours everybody was in dismay. Then 
word came that the report was false, and the people 
grew as angry as they had been frightened. The gov- 
ernor and his friends for a time were in danger. The 
alarm did not disturb the Friends, who were gathered 
for worsliip in their meeting-house, and went on with 
their religious exercises as if nothing out of the usual 
course was taking place. The quarrel with the gov- 
ernor continued until 1709, when William Penn felt it 
necessary to remove him and appoint another in his 
place. 

The Quarrel Ended. — The war continued, and the 
new governor demanded means of defence. War-ships 
of the enemy had appeared at the mouth of Delaware 
Bay, but the Indians were friendly and the assembly 
could not be moved from the policy of peace and good- 
will held by William Penn and the Friends. No soldiers 



THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PROVINCE 299 

were provided, but two thousand pounds were voted 
for the use of the queen in defence of the province, to 
be raised by a tax on the people. This act restored 
harmony, and for a time the disputes between the gov- 
ernor and the assembly ceased. 

Acts of the Law=Makers. — In 1712 the assembly 
passed an act seeking to put an end to the trade in 
slaves. Bills were also passed laying heavy duties on 
rum, whisky, and other spirits, fixing the value of 
coin, and establishing courts of justice. All these acts 
wTre declared of no effect by the English government, 
much to the displeasure of the colonists, who felt that 
they were being deprived of their rights and privileges. 

Other difficulties soon arose. Queen Anne died in 
1714, and a new king, George I., was crowned. At once 
an old law was revived which forbade Quakers to give 
evidence in criminal cases, to serve on juries, or to hold 
any office of profit. An attempt was made to apply 
this to Pennsylvania, where all the offices were filled 
by people of that sect. A strong protest was made by 
the assembly, and a contest began which was kept up 
for ten years. At length, in 1725, the law was with- 
drawn so far as regarded Pennsylvania, through an act 
passed by the assembly and accepted by the king. 

A Friendly Governor. — The colonists were greatly 
pleased to have won this victory over their enemies. 
They were also much pleased with a new governor. 
Sir AVilliam Keith, who came to Philadelphia in 1717 
and showed himself to be the friend of the people. For 
almost the first time since William Penn had gone 
home, the assembly, council, and governor ceased to 
quarrel with one another. 



300 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

Death of Penn. — William Penn had never been able 
to return to his colony, and his returns from it were 
so small that he grew very poor, and for a time was 
imprisoned for debt. He died in 1718. The news of 
his death was received with deep sorrow in the prov- 
ince, and the Indians also showed grief at the loss of 
the "great and good Onas." Mrs. Penn acted as pro- 
prietor for her sons, all of whom were under age, while 
Governor Keith continued at the head of affairs. Har- 
mony prevailed in the government, the people devoted 
themselves to trade and to the improvement of their 
farms, and for years all went happily on. 

Increase of Population. — The province of Pennsyl- 
vania had now become the most popular and prosperous 
of the American colonies, and new immigrants came 
in such numbers, mostly from Germany, that the 
Friends became alarmed. They feared that Pennsyl- 
vania would have so many "foreigners" that it would 
cease to be an English colony. Acts were passed to 
refuse these strangers the rights of citizens and to lay 
a special tax on them, and it was long before these 
unwise discriminations were removed. 

Benjamin Franklin. — In 1723, near the end of Gov- 
ernor Keith's administration, Benjamin Franklin came 
from Boston to Philadelphia. He was then a boy 
of seventeen, but was in the future to become the 
ablest .and most useful citizen of his new place of 
residence. 

A New County Formed. — There were still only three 
counties in the province. The farmers beyond the 
Conestoga and along the Susquehanna were in Chester 
County, and had to go to the court-house at Chester, 



THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PROVINCE 301 

nearly a hundred miles away, for jury and other duties. 
On this account a new county was formed in 1729, 
which was named Lancaster. The town 0/ Lancaster 
was laid out in 1730. The people in this section were 
largely Germans, though there were also English, 
Scotch, Irish, and Welsh. Nearly all had been perse- 
cuted at home for their religious faith, and were strong- 
ly'' in favor of freedom of conscience in their new homes. 
Some alarm was caused by the building of a Roman 
Catholic chapel in Philadelphia in 1733, but the Catho- 
lics were not disturbed in their religious worship. 

A Border War. — The dispute which had long existed 
concerning the boundary line between Pennsylvania 
and Maryland led in 1736 to acts of violence. The 
Germans who had taken up land beyond the Susque- 
'hanna at first believed that their farms were in Mary- 
land. About this time they changed their opinion and 
declared themselves to be citizens of Pennsylvania. 
As a result the sheriff of Baltimore County marched 
with three hundred men to drive them out. But the 
sheriff of Lancaster County called out a strong force 
to resist this invasion, and the Marylanders thought it 
wise to retire. 

Shortly afterwards a lawless band crossed the border 
from Maryland with the purpose of driving away the 
Germans and seizing their lands. The sheriff of Lan- 
caster met them with a force of citizens, and a sharp 
fight took place, one man being killed, and Thomas 
Cressap, the leader of the invaders, wounded and taken 
prisoner. 

The petty war was kept up for about a year; a num- 
ber of Germans were seized and taken to Baltimore as 



302 



HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 



hostages for Crcssap, and citizens of both sides were 
wounded and captured in the conflicts that took place. 
Finally, in 1737, an order came from the king that the 
governors should keep peace on the border until the 
boundary line had been fixed. 

The First Centennial. — The hundredth anniversary 
of the settlement of the Swedes on the Delaware came 




Old Swedes Church at Philadelphia. 

in 1738. The colony of AVilliam Penn was then fifty- 
seven years old. It had more white inhabitants than 
any other province except Maryland, Virginia, and 
Massachusetts. Its capital city was next to Boston 
in population, and soon after became the largest In 
the colonies. The fertility of the soil, the mildness of 
the climate the liberality of the laws, had brought 



THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PROVINCE 303 

settlers in large numbers from various countries. The 
just treatment of the Indians had kept them friendly, 
and there were no fears of savage massacres. Peace 
and prosperity prevailed, and for years all went well 
with Pennsjdvania and its people. The trade of Phila- 
delphia grew until its shipping amounted to six thou- 
sand tons, the produce of the farm, dairy, orchard, and 
forest being exported in large quantities. Thomas and 
John Penn, two of William's sons, came to Pennsylvania 
in 1732, and were gladly welcomed by the people. John 
soon returned, but Thomas remained until 1741. 

The Walking Purchase. — In 1737 a great fraud upon 
the Indians was consummated, which made many of 
them enemies of the whites. An old deed provided for 
a purchase of land from the tribes to be measured by a 
line starting at Wrightstown — a few miles back from 
the Delaware above Trenton — and running northwest 
parallel wuth the river as far as a man could walk in a 
day and a half. From the end of the walk a line was 
to be drawn to the Delaware, the purchase to include 
all the land between these lines and the river. 

The Indians did not look for anything but an ordinary 
walk, but the governor had the line surveyed in advance 
and the trees marked so that the walkers could follow 
a straight line without losing time, and selected some 
of the best walkers in the province for the task. The 
Indians who came as watchers had to run to keep up 
with them, and near the end of the first day they with- 
drew in disgust, finding that they were being cheated. 

They understood that the Lehigh River would be 
the limit of the walk, but it extended thirty miles 
beyond that river, and the line drawn to the Delaware 



304 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

was not made direct, but was slanted upward for a 
long distance, so as to include the valuable Minisink 
country. It was this country that the governor was 
trying to secure. 

The Indians refused to leave the Minisink lands, 
and deputies from the Iroquois of New York, to whom 
they were vassals, were called in to make them leave. 
They did so when ordered by their conquerors, but 
from this time on they hated the English, and when the 
war with the French broke out they revenged themselves 
on the settlers. Hatred had made them warriors again. 
The fraud was probably due to Thomas Penn, who was 
then in the country, and who afterwards showed a 
grasping spirit in his dealings with the settlers.* 

Threats of War. — The peaceful condition of the 
province came to an end in 1739. War was declared 
between England and Spain, and the colonies were 
required to put themselves in a state of defence. 
Governor Thomas, who had been appointed in 1738, 
was ignorant of the kind of people he had to deal with, 
and ordered them to prepare for possible war. The 
Friends, who formed the majority of the assembly, 
refused, and a bitter dispute arose between the gov- 

*It is stated that this walking purchase was the completion of a 
purchase made by WilUam Markham in 1682, providing for a tract 
extending as far as a man could walk in three days, the line to 
begin at the mouth of the Neshaminy and extend northwestward. 
It is said that Penn, with some of his friends and a number of 
chiefs, began this walk, and continued it leisurely for a day and a 
half, proceeding for a distance of about thirty miles, when Penn 
stopped, saying that he had all the land he then wanted. At its 
completion in 1737 the walk covered eighty-six miles. 



THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PROVINCE 305 

ernor and the legislators. Finally the governor asked 
for money instead of soldiers, and this was at once 
granted. 

The Redemptioners. — Governor Thomas now organ- 
ized seven companies of militia. Among his recruits were 
many of those known as '^Redemptioners," — poor per- 
sons whose passage across the ocean had been paid foi 
them, and who had agreed to work a certain number 
of years for their benefactors. Those who enlisted 
did so under promise of being set free from these labor 
contracts. 

The assembly asked the governor to pay the farmers 
who had in this way lost their servants for the time 
still due. This he unjustly refused to do. The result 
was one of the most violent party contests ever known 
in Pennsylvania. 

Political Disputes. — Two parties arose, one taking 
the side of the governor^ the other that of the assem- 
bly. The governor refused to approve the bills passed 
by the assembly, which, in return, refused to order the 
payment of his salary. Finally the quarrel became so 
severe that the assembly adjourned without having 
passed any of the necessary bills. Governor Thomas 
then, in revenge, removed from office all the judges, 
sheriffs, etc., who were on the side of his opponents. 

The Parties. — The term of service of the members of 
the assembh' had expired^ and a new election was 
ordered. A bitter contest was expected. The "Gentle- 
men's party," which supported the governor, had its 
chief strength in the city. The other, which was 
strongest in the country, was known as the "Quaker, 
or Country, party." Both parties tried to win the 
20 



306 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

favor of the Germans, who formed an important sec- 
tion of the farming population near the city. 

The Election Riot.— On the morning of October 1, 
1739, members of both parties gathered about the 
polls, which were opened for the whole city and county 
of Philadelphia at the court-house on Market Street. 
The farming people were present in force, and were 
evidently on the side of the assembly. On the other 
side appeared a gang of sailors from the ships in the 
harbor, who had been engaged by the governor's 
party to drive their opponents from the polls. 

A disgraceful riot now took place. The sailors 
marched through the streets and attacked the country 
people with clubs, knocking down all who did not run 
away. Even the magistrates who tried to check the 
riot were attacked. This done, the sailors went away, 
but they came back as soon as the polls were opened, 
stationed themselves on the stairs leading to the ballot- 
box, and drove away all of the other party who came 
to vote. 

This did not last long. Though the Friends would 
not fight, the German farmers soon got tired of being 
knocked down, seized what weapons they could find, and 
made a fierce attack upon the sailors, whom they drove 
from the stairs. Fifty of them were captured and put 
in jail. The others fled to their ships, and took care 
not to show themselves in the streets again that day. 

End of the Quarrel. — Thus ended the first election 
riot in Pennsylvania. At the polls the Country party 
won, and the members of the old assembly were re- 
elected. Governor Thomas, finding himself defeated, 
offered a compromise, which was accepted. The 



THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PROVINCE 307 

masters were paid for the loss of their servants, and 
the assembly voted a donation of about six thousand 
pounds towards the expenses of the war. 

The Militia Called Out. — In 1744 a new war broke 
out, this time with the French. Benjamin Franklin 
wrote and published a pamphlet called '"Plain Truth," 
in which he showed the need of union and discipline. 
The governor commanded all able-bodied men to pro- 
vide arms and train as militia, and in a short time ten 
thousand men were organized and armed. Franklin 
was chosen as colonel of the Philadelphia regiment, 
but declined the honor, as he thought that he would 
be of more use as a private citizen. 

Other Measures for Defence. — In order to provide 
funds to build a battery below the city Franklin de- 
vised a lottery, for which he obtained contributions 
from many of the Friends, who, while not willing to 
fight, did not object to measures of self-defence. The 
Indians on the border had been roused to anger by 
the acts of traders, who made them drunk and then 
cheated them out of the true value of their furs. They 
also remembered how they had been wronged in the 
walking purchase, and showed signs of hostility, but 
they were quieted by the efforts of the governors of 
Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia, who gave 
them valuable presents and promised them protection. 

The king had determined on an invasion of Canada, 
and the colonies were called upon for aid. The Penn- 
sylvania assembly voted five thousand pounds, with 
which two companies were organized and sent to 
Albany, where they were kept guarding the frontier 
for a year and a half. Peace was signed in 1748. 



308 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

New Counties. — Up to 1749 there were but four 
counties in Pennsylvania, Lancaster County includ- 
ing all the western part of the province. But there 
was now a considerable population west of the Susque- 
hanna, made up of English, German, and Scotch-Irish 
people, and in 1749 a new county, named York, was 
formed. In 1750 Cumberland County was laid out, 
and from that time on new counties were added with 
some frequency as the population increased. 

Captain Jack. — In Cumberland County dwelt a noted 
character called Captain Jack, the "wild hunter of the 
Juniata." His family had been murdered bj'' Indians, 
after which he lived in a cave and devoted himself to 
revenge upon the savages. In time he formed a band 
of hunters, who spent their time in protecting the 
frontier. He offered the services of his band to Gen- 
eral Braddock, saying that they were ''regardless of 
heat and cold. They require no shelter for the night; 
they ask no pay." Braddock declined their aid. He 
had no faith in colonial soldiers. 

New Settlements. — The town of Easton was laid out 
about 1738, York in 1741, Reading in 1748, and 
Carlisle about 1750. The Christian Indian settle- 
ments of Nazareth and Bethlehem were established 
about 1740, under the care of Moravian missionaries. 
Settlements were extending widely over the west 
and north, following the river valleys, in which the 
pioneers often took possession of Indian lands which 
had not yet been purchased. This, added to the 
other acts of deceit we have named, went far to break 
the good relations which had so far existed with the 
natives. 



WAR WITH THE FRENCH AND INDIANS 309 

Indian Councils. — Councils with the Indians were 
often held, in which their favor was obtained by valu- 
able presents. Easton became a common place for 
these councils after 1754, there being sometimes 
present from two hundred to five hundred chiefs and 
many of the leading men of the province. Frequent 
complaints were made by the natives, in order that 
they might have new councils and new presents, and 
this in time became so expensive that the people asked 
the proprietors to share part of the cost. The Penns 
refused and a strong party grew up against them, 
Benjamin Franklin being one of their opponents. It 
is well to state at this point that the sons of William 
Penn were not Friends like their father, but had joined 
the Church of England. 

3. WAR WITH THE FRENCH AND INDIANS. 

In 1754 war broke out between the French and 
English colonists in America. The general events of 
that war in Pennsylvania are described in the preced- 
ing ''History of the United States." Here we need to 
speak only of some particular incidents. 

Franklin's Services. — Benjamin Franklin took an 
active part in the war. In 1754 he drew up a plan for 
a union of the colonies. This was offered to a conven- 
tion at Albany, but was not accepted by the country 
or the king. When General Braddock came to America 
with his troops there was much surprise that he did 
not land at Philadelphia. In Virginia he was able to 
obtain only twenty-five wagons, but Franklin told 
him that Pennsylvania would supply him with all he 
needed, and in less than two weeks he had ready for 



310 



HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 



him one hundred and fifty wagons and two hundred 
and fifty horses. In paying for these he gave two 
hundred pounds of his own money, and gave his bond 
to pay the full value of any horses that might be lost. 
The farmers did not care to trust the British general, 
but were quite ready to trust Franklin. 

The Indian Raids. — The defeat of Braddock that 
followed was a serious event for the frontier settlers. 
No sooner had the army retreated than the savage 
allies of the French attacked the farmers in the border 




Braddotk's March. 



settlements. Many of them were killed, others taken 
prisoners, their cattle and grain taken away or de- 
stroyed, and their dwellings burned. Several thriving 
settlements were ruined, and in some places the whole 
country was laid waste. 

Political Quarrels. — This terrible state of affairs w^as 
partly due to a quarrel between the governor and the 
assemblv. The governor would not sign the bill to 



WAR WITH THE FRENCH AND INDIANS 311 

provide money for the defence of the colonies, because 
it laid a share of the tax on the land of the proprie- 
taries. For weeks they kept up the quarrel, while the 
savage foe was murdering the inhabitants. 

The people at length grew so indignant that a body 
of about four hundred Germans marched into Phila- 
delphia and demanded that the assembly and the 
governor should act at once for the public relief. 
About the same time the proprietaries sent an order 
that five thousand pounds should be appropriated on 
their account to the use of the colony. This stopped 
the quarrel for the time, a liberal sum being voted by 
the assembly and a bill passed for the enlistment of 
soldiers. 

Franklin on the Frontier. — The government asked 
Franklin to take charge of the protection of the 
frontier, and he at once went to work for that purpose. 
There were no experienced military men in Pennsyl- 
vania, but it was thought that Franklin could do 
everything well. Five hundred men were collected at 
Bethlehem, where the Moravians built a strong stock- 
ade and gathered a supply of arms. They even carried 
stones into their houses for the women to throw upon 
the heads of enemies. A military post was built 
farther up the Lehigh, and in the freezing January 
weather Franklin began to erect forts and block- 
houses along the Kittatinny Mountains. This chain of 
forts, beginning on the Delaware, was drawn during 
175G around the edge of the settled country towards 
the border of Maryland. It was not of much use in 
keeping back the enemy, who slipped between the 
forts and massacred people fifty miles within their line. 



312 fflSTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

Franklin was engaged about two months in this ser- 
vice, when he gave up his command to Colonel Clap- 
ham^ a New England officer who knew the art of 
fighting Indians, and returned to Philadelphia, where 
he was elected colonel of a new regiment. 

The Friends Seek Peace. — While the Indian massacres 
were going on, the leading Friends were seeking to 
restore peace with the natives. Some friendly Indians 
were sent to the hostile tribes to tell them that the 
brethren of Penn, their great friend, were anxious that 
they should live together in peace and harmony as of 
old. This many of the Delawares and Shawanese* 
agreed to, and peace was established with them. 

The Hostile Indians. — But some of the chiefs of the 
Delawares were bitterly hostile, and would not join 
their tribe in its treaty of peace with the whites. 
They took part with the western Indians, who were 
under the influence of the French, and were stirred up 
by them to deeds of bloodshed. From their station at 
Kittanning, on the Alleghany River, these Indians 
destroyed settlements numbering many thousand 
inhabitants, the people being killed, captured, or driven 
across the Susquehanna. 

The Assault on Kittanning. — Governor Morris deter- 
mined to destroy the Kittanning stronghold, and sent 
against it a force of three hundred men, under Colonel 
Armstrong. They succeeded in approaching the village 
without being observed, and came within sight of it 
on the morning of September 8, 1756. The warriors 
had been engaged in a war-dance, and many of them 

♦Shawanese Indians from Carolina had settled along the Sus- 
quehanna in 1698. 



WAR WITH THE FRENCH AND INDIANS 313 

had laid down to sleep in a cornfield near by. They 
were suddenly aroused by rifle-shots, by which part of 
them were killed, and the rest put to flight. 

The village was next attacked, and here the natives 
defended themselves desperately, firing upon their 
assailants from the shelter of their wigwams. Colonel 
Armstrong ordered his men to set fire to these, and the 
village was soon in a sheet of flame, while the powder- 
barrels in the wigwams frequently exploded, throwing 
the bodies of their defenders into the air. Soon the 
village was in ashes and all that lived of its defenders 
were in full flight. This severe lesson put an end for a 
considerable time to the Indian raids, and many of the 
settlers returned to their farms. 

March of General Forbes. — The end of the war in 
Pennsylvania came in 1758, General Forbes being sent 
against Fort Duquesne with an army of about eight 
thousand men. Colonel Bouquet led the advance, and 
sustained a fierce attack from the French and Indians. 
But they had not now a Braddock to deal with, and 
were driven back with great loss. 

General Forbes, however, marched so slowly, wast- 
ing time in cutting new roads through the mountain 
passes, that winter was close at hand before he came 
near the fort, and he would have given up the expe- 
dition had not Washington, who was with him, in- 
duced him to go on. Some scouts who had been cap- 
tured had revealed the fact that the fort was poorly 
defended and Washington pushed forward rapidly 
with his regiment, reaching it on November 25. He 
found that the French had set it on fire and fled down 
th'j Ohio. 



314 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

Building of Fort Pitt. — Orders were given to rebuild 
the fort and make it stronger than before. It was 
named Fort Pitt, after the great English statesman 
who had managed the war during its later years. 
The city of Pittsburg afterwards arose at the locality, 
and in time became the second city in population and 
manufactures in the State. 

Franklin Serves the People. — In 175G a new gov- 
ernor, William Denny, was sent to Pennsylvania. 
The assembly was glad to get rid of Governor Morris, 
but soon found Governor Denny as hard to deal with. 
In fact, the governors were only agents for the Penns, 
and could not act as they wished. Denn}^ had orders 
to veto all laws to tax the estates of the proprietaries 
or in any way to reduce their power and privileges. 
His effort to carry out these orders soon brought on 
the old quarrel, and in 1758 Franklin was sent to 
London as the agent of the people. After much 
trouble he succeeded in showing the king's ministers 
the tru/i state of affairs, and had a bill passed allowing 
the taxation of the estates of the Penns and confirming 
all that the assembly claimed to be the just rights of 
the people of the province. 

The Pontiac War. — For a brief period after the build- 
ing of Fort Pitt the country was at peace and the 
Indians were quiet. But in 1763 a new war broke 
out under the Indian chief Pontiac. The frontiers of 
Pennsylvania were again wasted with fire and sword, 
several forts were taken and their garrisons murdered, 
and the greatest suffering prevailed. Fort Pitt was 
besieged by a host of savages, who cut it off from the 
settlem.ents. 



WAR WITH THE FRENCH AND INDIANS 315 

Colonel Bouquet's Victory. — Troops were soon in the 
field and marching to the West. Colonel Armstrong, 
the hero of Kittanning, again attacked and destroyed 
an Indian village. But the decisive battle of the war 
was fought by Colonel Bouquet, who was attacked by 
the savages while on his way to relieve Fort Pitt. 

His road led through a narrow and dangerous ravine, 
several miles along. This he proposed to pass in the 
night, but just before reaching it he was met by a large 
body of Indians and a desperate struggle began. The 
savages had left Fort Pitt for the attack, hoping to 
repeat their experience with Braddock. Until sunset 
the soldiers fought against a concealed enemy, and the 
next morning the assault was renewed. The soldiers, 
drawn up in a circle, defended themselves bravely, 
but they were suffering from thirst and were in immi- 
nent danger of defeat and destruction. 

Fortunately, the colonel was an old Indian fighter. 
Two of his companies were withdrawn from his small 
force and ordered to make a show of retreat. The 
Indians were deceived. Fancying that a real retreat 
had begun, they set up their yell of triumph, broke 
from the woods, and rushed upon the weakened line. 
Suddenly they were met with a sharp fire upon their 
flank. The retreating companies had wheeled round 
the circle of the troops and made a sharp attack. 
The Indians gave way, and as they fled were assailed 
by two other companies, which had slipped out from 
the other side of the circle. The whole force now 
rushed upon the enemy with such vigor as to scatter 
them in defeat through the woods. Fort Pitt was 
relieved, the savages not returning to the siege. 



31 B HISTORY OF PEiNNSYLVANIA 

The Lancaster Outrage. — A sad event soon after 
took place. There had been some murders in Lan- 
caster County, and certain people fancied that these 
had been done by the Christian Indians near the 
town of Lancaster. The Indian settlement was at- 
tacked by a party calling themselves Paxton Rangers, 
and the six people found there were brutally mur- 
dered. The people of Lancaster placed the others in 
the prison for safety, but the rangers rode into the 
town on Sunday morning, while the people were at 
church, broke into the jail, and killed the Indians, 
fourteen in all. A proclamation was issued by the 
governor for the arrest of the murderers, but none of 
them were brought to justice, they being supported by 
public sentiment. 

The March upon Philadelphia. — In fact, a party of 
their sympathizers soon- after broke into insurrection 
and marched upon Philadelphia, whither one hundred 
and forty Christian Indians had been brought from 
the Moravian settlements for safety. The alarmed 
authorities sent these Indians to New York, but the 
governor of that province would not receive them, 
and the governor of New Jersey refused them a refuge 
in his province, so that they had to be brought back to 
Philadelphia. 

The backwoodsmen, who had set out in January, 
1764, from five hundred to fifteen hundred strong, as 
variously estimated, at length reached Germantown, 
where they encamped. They found the people of 
Philadelphia ready for them, and did not think it wise 
to venture farther. The city was guarded by soldiers 
and artillery, and the quarters of the Indians were 



THE PERIOD OF THE REVOLUTION 



317 



fortified with earthworks and cannon. Commissioners 
were sent to meet the invaders, Franklin among them, 
and they were easily induced to withdraw. Only one 
of their requests was granted, that a bounty should be 
offered for Indian scalps. This was not a very humane 
end to Penn's Indian policy of good-will. 

4. THE PERIOD OF THE REVOLUTION. 

The close of the war with the French and Indians 
was quickly followed by troubles with the British 
government, leading to war and independence. In 
these events, which affected the entire country, Penn- 
sylvania took a prominent part. 

The Stamp Act. — As soon as news came of the passage 
of the Stamp Act, in 17G5, the assembly passed resolu- 
tions declaring that none but their 
own representatives had the right 
to tax Americans, and making a 
strong protest against taxation by 
the British Parliament. On the 
5th of October the stamps were 
brought in a ship to Philadelphia. 
At once all flags were put at half- 
mast, bells were muffled, and the 
city seemed to go into mourning. 
Meetings were held at which business men resolved not 
to use stamps and to do no business with England until 
the law should be repealed. 

The Stamp Act was to go into effect November 1, 
1765. On the preceding day all the newspapers ap- 
peared with heavy black lines, as if in mourning, and 
no more papers were issued for twenty-one days. 
All the public offices were closed, and no business was 




Stamp Act Stamp. 



318 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

done in them till the next May, when word came that 
the law was repealed. The loss of business had made 
it a costly experiment to Great Britain. 

Joy at the Repeal. — The news of the repeal was 
greeted with joy in Philadelphia. The city was illu- 
minated, bonfires were kindled, and a gold laced hat 
was presented to the captain of the vessel that brought 
the good tidings. The king's birthday was celebrated 
by a public dinner on the banks of the Schuylkill. 
During this period John Penn, grandson of William 
Penn, was governor of Pennsylvania. 

The Tax on Tea. — The joy of the people did not last 
long. A tax was soon after laid by Parliament on tea, 
glass, paper, and some other articles.* But, as the 
people would not use these articles, all the taxes were 
removed in 1770, except a small one on tea. Ships 
laden with tea were sent to America, but no city 
would receive it. The ships which came to the Dela- 
ware were warned not to try to land their cargoes, and 
therefore returned to England. In Boston the tea was 
thrown overboard. 

First Continental Congress. — This refusal of his tea 
made King George so angry that he took steps 

*It was at this time that John Dickinson, of Philadelphia, wTote 
his famous "Farmer's Letters," which first awoke the people to the 
fnll meaning of the acts of Parliament. He professed to have a 
small farm on the Delaware, and to be content with his lot, though 
he feared that British taxation would soon affect his fortunes. He 
went on to tell his readers what a loss of their liberty would follow 
the tax on paper and glass, if they submitted to it. Some years 
afterwards (in 1775) another stirring work came from Philadelphia, 
Thomas Paine 's "Common Sense," which went far to convert the 
people's minds from insurrection to revolution. These were the 
two great appeals to the people of the Revolutionary period. 



THE PERIOD OF THE REVOLUTION 319 

which were sure to lead to war. Large meetings were 
held in Philadelphia to sympathize with Boston, whose 
business the king had ruined,* and a convention met 
July 15, 1774, which passed a resolution to call a con- 
gress of the colonies, declaring that the rights of the 
people were in danger. Other colonies took similar 
action, and the First Continental Congress met in 
Carpenters' Hall, Philadelphia, September 5, 1774. f 

Enlistments. — As soon as the news of the battle of 
Lexington reached Philadelphia, a meeting was held 
and steps were taken to enlist soldiers. It was not long 
before a large force was under arms. John Penn, the 
governor, who was on the side of the king, lost his 
authority, a "Committee of Safety" being appointed 
by the assembly to control all public affairs. 

Friends and Mennonites. — The authorities had a 
delicate task to perform. Both the Friends and the 
German Mennonites were forbidden by their religion 
to bear arms. The Mennonites were willing to pay 
taxes "to feed the hungry and give the thirsty drink," 
but the Friends said that they could not do anything 
in aid of war. They were, however, induced to contrib- 
ute money for the public defence. 

Pennsylvania a State. — In July, 1776, a convention 
was held which declared Pennsylvania to be free from 

*In May, 1774, Paul Revere rode from Boston to Philadelphia, 
sent thither by the leaders to persuade the Pennsylvanians to take 
part in the resistance to British oppression. He was well received, 
and returned with messages of encouragement. 

fFor the acts of this Congress, and of the Second Continental 
Congress, which met in the State House at Philadelphia, May 10, 
1775, see the preceding "History of the United States." 



320 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

the power of kings and proprietors and to be an inde- 
pendent State. At that time it had a population of 
over three hundred thousand, of whom more than ten 
thousand were in the field as soldiers, while every 
county had its militia force. There was a navy of 
fifteen ships and a number of smaller vessels. The iron 
foundries of the State were casting cannon and balls 
for the army, and forts and floating batteries were 
provided for the defence of the capital city of the new 
commonwealth. 

Washington's Retreat. — The war, which began at 
Boston and then came to New York, reached Penn- 
sylvania in December, 1776, w^hen Washington's small 
army crossed the Delaware and stationed itself along 
the river to protect the State from the enemy. There 
were less than three thousand men in the army; 
they were suffering from cold and hunger; all hope 
was gone; Congress left hastily for Baltimore, in fear 
that Philadelphia would be taken; the revolution was 
at its lowest ebb. 

Aid to the Army. — But the people of Pennsylvania 
came nobly to Washington's aid. The farmers brought 
food, the towmsmen brought clothing and medicines to 
the camp. Fifteen hundred men joined the army, 
making it strong enough for Washington's great 
Christmas night exploit, when he crossed the Dela- 
ware and captured the British force at Trenton. 

Pennsylvania Invaded. — The invasion of Pennsyl- 
vania, thus averted, took place in 1777, when the 
British army was transported on ships from New York 
to Chesapeake Bay, landed at Elkton, Maryland, and 
marched north with the purpose of capturing Phila- 



THE PERIOD OF THE REVOLUTION 321 

delphia. Washington tried to stop the march of the 
British, and a severe battle was fought on Brandy wine 
Creek, but the enemy was too strong, and the patriot 
army was defeated. 

Movements of the Armies. — The army retreated, a 
part of it resting at Chester for the night, the main 
body crossing the Schuylkill and camping at German- 
town. The British established their camp at Village 
Green, in Delaware County, the farms and houses of 
that fertile district being widely plundered. 

Four days after the battle of Brandy wine, Wash- 
ington left his camp and marched towards the enemy. 
He proposed to fight another battle for the safety of 
Philadelphia. On the morning of September 16 the 
two armies faced each other. The skirmishers had 
begun firing, when there came up a violent storm of 
rain, so wetting the powder of the soldiers that it 
could not be used. Washington was therefore obliged 
to withdraw. 

The Surprise at Paoli. — On the 20th, General Wayne, 
who was encamped at Paoli, was attacked at night by 
a strong force of British led by Tories of the neighbor- 
hood. After a desperate fight, Wayne managed to 
withdraw his men, though with a loss of about two 
hundred. This event was afterwards known as the 
"Massacre of Paoli." A monument now marks the 
battle-field. 

Philadelphia Occupied. — On September 23 the Brit- 
ish army crossed the Schuylkill at Swedes' Ford, 
having deceived Washington by a pretence of crossing 
higher up. On the 2oth it marched to Gcrmantown, 
and entered Philadelphia on the 2Gth. Congress had 

21 



322 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

again left, this time for Lancaster, Pennsylvania, 
where a one-day session was held September 27. An 
extended session began at York, Pennsylvania, Sep- 
tember 30. 

The Defence of the Delaware. — The British found it 
no easy matter to get their fleet up the Delaware to 
Philadelphia. The Americans held Fort Mifflin on the 
Pennsylvania side and Fort Mercer on the New Jersey 
side, and it took the enemy two months to capture 
these forts. Fort Mercer was assaulted by a strong 
force of Hessian soldiers on October 22, but they were 
driven away with heavy loss. At the same time the war- 
vessels in the river fired on the forts, but they were 
attacked and defeated by the little Pennsylvania fleet. 

The Forts Evacuated. — Finally the British general 
surrounded the forts with batteries of cannon, which 
fired upon them day and night. Yet the brave garri- 
sons kept up the defence for nearly a month longer. 
Then, the forts being in ruins, they escaped with their 
cannon and stores. The little fleet was lost in an at- 
tempt to sail up past the city, and the British ships at 
length reached the wharves. 

The Battle of the Kegs. — An amusing incident fol- 
lowed the success of the British fleet. On the 7th of 
January, 1778, a number of kegs were seen floating on 
the river past the city. The British watched them 
with alarm, thinking that the Americans had devised 
a plot to blow up their ships. They imagined that the 
kegs were filled with powder, to be in some way ex- 
ploded if they should touch a ship. So the guns were 
turned on them, and the innocent kegs were battered 
with cannon-balls. Francis Hopkinson, a poet of that 



THE PERIOD OF THE REVOLUTION 



323 



time, wrote a humorous ballad upon this incident, 
calling it "The Battle of the Kegs." 

Germantown and Whitemarsh. — The Americans were 
as active on land as on the water. On October 4, 
Washington's army attacked the British in their camp 
at Germantown. The enemy was taken by surprise, 
and probably would have been defeated but for a fog 




Washington Pkaying at Valley Forge. 

that interfered with the American movements. On 
December 4, General Howe similarly tried to take 
Washington by surprise in his camp at Whitemarsh. 
But the Americans had been secretly warned and were 
ready for them, and the British marched back with- 
out firing a shot. It is said that a woman named 
Lydia Darrach had heard the British officers talking 
of their plans and had managed to carry the news to 
the Americans. 

Valley Forge. — On December 11 the American army 
went into winter quarters at Valley Forge. It was a 



324 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

terrible winter the soldiers spent there. The cold was 
severe; the men had little clothing, and many of them 
had no shoes; food was very scarce; numbers of them 
died. "Washington did all he could for them, but he 
had much to contend with. A Quaker one day saw the 
general on his knees in the woods praying to God for 
help. On going home he said to his wife, "If there is 
any one man on earth to whom the Lord will listen, it 
is George Washington." 

The British in Philadelphia. — Meanwhile, the British 
were passing a pleasant winter in Philadelphia, enjoy- 
ing theatrical entertainments, feasts, and other pleas- 
ures. In May, 1778, they gave a grand fete to General 
Howe, who had been superseded by Sir Henry Clin- 
ton. It was called the Meschianza, or '^ medley," and 
was made up of a show}^ river procession, a tourna- 
ment, fireworks, and a banquet. In the midst of it 
Captain McLane, a dashing cavalry officer in Washing- 
ton's army, crept with his men up to the British 
redoubts, covered everything they could with tar, and 
set fire to it. A frightful uproar followed in the city, 
drums were beat and cannon roared, but the unwel- 
come visitors all escaped to boast of their exploit. 

Lafayette Attacked. — On the next day a strong 
British force left the city, in the hope of surprising 
Lafayette, who was encamped on Barren Hill, above 
Germantown. They expected to surround and cut 
him off, but he discovered them in time and slipped 
away, leaving the disgusted British only an empty 
camp. 

Aid from the French. — About the same time welcome 
news came to Washington's army. Benjamin Franklin 



THE PERIOD OF THE REVOLUTION 325 

had induced the King of France to recognize the 
independence of the American States and to send a 
fleet and an army to their aid. The news of this gave 
the British as much fear as it gave joy to the Americans. 
General Howe was afraid of being blockaded in the 
Delaware by a French fleet, and sent his own ships 
hastily to New York. On the 18th of June the British 
army left Philadelphia, to the great joy of all patriotic 
citizens, and started on a march to New York. Wash- 
ington at once broke camp and followed, bringing the 
enemy to battle at Monmouth, New Jersey. Thus 
ended the invasion of Pennsylvania. 

The Stars and Stripes. — At this point it may be well 
to say something about the United States flag. Flags 
of several kinds were used in the opening years of the 
war, but the "Star-Spangled Banner" came into exist- 
ence in Philadelphia in 1777. A resolution was offered 
in Congress on June 14 to the effect that the flag 
should have thirteen stripes, alternately red and white, 
and the union thirteen white stars in a blue field. The 
number thirteen indicated the thirteen original States. 
The first flag is said to have been made under the 
direction of Washington, aided by a committee of 
Congress, by Mrs. Betsy Ross, at her house. No. 239 
Arch Street, Philadelphia. This house has become a 
place for pilgrimage for Philadelphia school-children 
on ''Flag-Day," June 15, and has been purchased for 
future preservation. 

The Settlement of Wyoming. — In the year 1778 a 
dreadful event took place in the beautiful valley of 
Wyoming, in Northeastern Pennsylvania. This valley 
was first visited in 1742 by Count Zinzendorf, a Mora- 



326 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

vian missionary from Germany. In 17G2 a settlement 
was made there of people from Connecticut, who 
claimed that it belonged to that colony; but the 
Indians broke up the settlement, and the people had 
to flee for their lives. 

In 17G9 it was settled by Pennsylvanians. Other 
people soon came from Connecticut, and disputes 
began, followed by fights, in which a number of per- 
sons were killed. This strife was kept up until the war 
of the Revolution, when the people had to join hands 
against a new enemy. In 1770 there were about five 
thousand people in the valley. 

Wyoming Invaded. — In the summer of 1778 a party 
of British, Indians, and Tories, under Colonel John 
Butler, invaded the valley. Many of its fighting men 
were in the army, but a small force was hastily raised 
and marched against the enem}'. The invaders proved 
too strong: the patriot army was defeated, and many 
of the fugitives were killed by the Indians. 

Two days afterwards, July 5, the fort, to which "many 
of the people had fled, was surrendered, on promise of 
protection. Little protection was given. The Indians 
swarmed through the valley, burning and murdering, 
and the people were forced to flee to the forests and 
marshes, where many of them perished. 

The Indians Punished. — The massacre at Wyoming 
was followed by Indian raids elsewhere in the northern 
part of the State. These kept up till August, 1779, 
when General Sullivan marched with a strong force 
into the Indian country, destroyed the villages and 
stores of food, and punished the savages so severely 
that they were obliged to cease their raids. 



THE PERIOD OF THE REVOLUTION 327 

March to Yorktown. — This massacre was the last 
event of the war in Pennsylvania. In 1781 the Amer- 
ican and French armies marched through Philadelphia 
on their way to Yorktown, Virginia, where the sur- 
render of General Cornwallis brought the long and 
terrible struggle to an end. 

The Revolt of the Soldiers. — The close of the war 
filled the people with joy, but the soldiers were sufTer- 
ing for food and clothing, and had long been without 
pay. Congress made promises, but did nothing, and 
on the 1st of January, 1782, a body of Pennsylvania 
troops left the camp at Morristown, New Jersey, to 
march to Philadelphia and demand justice from their 
Representatives. 

General Wayne, their commander, hurried after 
them, and tried to persuade them to return to camp. 
In the end he drew his pistol and threatened to shoot 
the leaders if they did not turn back. The men at once 
raised their muskets, telling him that they loved and 
respected him, but that if he fired his pistol they would 
kill him. 

How the Pennsylvanians Acted. — They showed him 
their ragged clothing, told him of their sufTerings for 
food, and insisted on going to demand justice from 
Congress. As they would not turn back, Wayne went 
with them. At Princeton they were met by a commit- 
tee of Congress, who promised that their demands 
should be granted. Those whose time was up were 
allowed to go home; the others went back to camp. 
The British commander at New York, hearing of this 
revolt, sent secret agents to the soldiers to induce them 
to desert. He did not know the Pennsylvanians. They 



328 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

seized the agents and handed them over to General 
Wayne, by whom they were tried and hung as spies. 

5. THE PROGRESS OF THE STATE. 

The Constitutional Convention. — Philadelphia, then 
the largest city in the country, and the capital not only 
of Pennsylvania but of the- United States, became the 
scene of a very important event in the period following 
the war. A convention met there in 1787 to adopt a 
new system of government and form a constitution for 
the United States. This convention was held in the 
State-House, now known as Independence Hall; 
Washington was its president, and its members in- 
cluded Benjamin Franklin, Robert Morris, and other 
eminent citizens of the State. 

Philadelphia the National Capital. — The story of the 
Constitution belongs to the history of the United 
States. It will suffice to say here that Philadelphia 
continued to be the capital of the country from 1774 
to 1789, and again, under the new constitution, from 
1790 to 1800, when the capital was removed to Wash- 
ington, District of Columbia. 

Pennsylvania a State. — Benjamin Franklin was pres- 
ident of the convention which met on July '15, 1776, 
and declared Pennsylvania a State. On the 26th of 
September the old assembly of the province, which 
had existed nearly a hundred years, ceased to meet, 
and the authority of the Pcnns* came to an end. Two 

*The loss of political control by the Penns did not affect their 
title to their landed estate in Pennsylvania, though the most of 
this was afterwards confiscated. Though William Penn obtained 
little money from his province, and had to go to prison for debt, 



THE PROGRESS OF THE STATE 329 

days afterwards the new constitution was signed, and 
the independent government of Pennsylvania began. 

The State Constitution. — Under the constitution an 
Assembly of Delegates made the laws and a Supreme 
Executive Council administered them. The President 
of the Council was the chief magistrate of the State. 
A second convention was held in 1790 and a revised 
constitution was adopted. This constitution was 
based on that of the United States. It provided for 
two law-making bodies, — a Senate and a House of 
Representatives. A Governor took the place of the 
President of the Supreme Council. The first governor 
was Thomas Mifflin. The new government came into 
existence on December 21, 1790. 

The State Capital. — In 1799 the seat of government 
of the State was removed from Philadelphia to Lan- 
caster, as a more central place. But as the western 
section of the State grew more populous, Lancaster 
ceased to be central, and in 1S12 Harrisburg was 

it became very valuable to his sons and grandsons, who lived in 
affluence on the product of their quit-rents and their sales of land. 
It is estimated that their property in Pennsylvania in 1759 was 
worth four million pounds and yielded an annual income of ten 
thousand pounds. This sum at that time had about four times the 
value it would have now. In 1779, during the Revolution, the 
Pennsylvania assembly gave the Penns one hundred and thirty 
thousand pounds in payment for their confiscated lands, and ex- 
pressed their regret that they could not give more. The heirs 
retained all their manors and some private estates and quit-rents, 
and some of these are still held by the family. The British govern- 
ment gave them to repay their losses in the Revolution, an annuity 
of four thousand pounds a year, which was commuted in 1SS4 by a 
grant of sixtj'-seven thousand pounds. 



330 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

chosen as the State capital. The building of a State- 
house began there in 1819 and was completed in 1821. 

Purchases of Land. — And now, having spoken of 
these political changes, we must say something about 
the settlement of the State. It must not be supposed 
that the people took possession of the land just as 
they pleased, without regard to the rights of the 
Indians. We have told the story of the "walking 
purchase" made in 1737. Five other parchases of 
land, of a more honorable character, were made by 
the Penns, the last and greatest being in 1768. In 
1785 a purchase was made by the State authorities 
which put an end to all Indian claims and gave the. 
whole State to the whites. 

A Lake Port. — But Pennsylvania had no access to 
Lake Erie, from which it was cut off by a small tract 
of land, of triangular shape, belonging to the United 
States. This was bought by the State in 1788. It 
gave Pennsylvania a valuable lake harbor, now the 
city of Erie. The State, as thus completed, is 302 
miles 104 perches in its greatest length, 175 miles 192 
perches in its greatest width. Its average length is 
280.39 miles; average width, 158.05 miles. 

The Perils of the Settlers. — The settlements were 
steadily pushed farther and farther west, large counties 
being first formed, which in time were broken up into 
smaller counties. After the outbreak of war with the 
French the settlers were long in danger from the 
Indians. Each little community had its central fort, 
to which the people ran for safety whenever the sav- 
ages appeared. The farmer went to his work with his 
musket swung at his side. The mechanic kept his 



THE PROGRESS OF THE STATE 331 

rille within reach of his hand. When a party of men 
met for any purpose, they stacked their arms within 
easy reach and placed a sentinel to watch for danger. 
Men were often obliged to fight their dusky foes as 
they ran in haste to the fort, perhaps with their wives 
and children before them. 

The Attack on Rice's Fort. — In 1782 one of these 
little settlements, on Buffalo Creek, w^as attacked by 
a party of Indians who had been defeated in an as- 
sault on Wheeling, Virginia. In the settlement was a 
block-house called Rice's Fort. The people, warned 
just in time of the danger, fled in haste to this strong- 
hold, and were not long there before the savages burst 
with war-whoops from the woods, expecting to take 
the fort by storm. There were only ^ix men within, 
but they were skilful riflemen, and soon drove their 
foes to the shelter of trees and logs. 

For nearly four hours the fight was kept up. The 
savages cried, "Give up; too many Indian; Indian 
too big. No kill." But the frontiersmen did not trust 
their treacherous enemies. One of them was killed, 
but the remaining five continued to fight against more 
than a hundred foes. Finally, hearing the approach 
of reinforcements, the savages fled, after burning the 
dwellings and killing all the cattle, sheep, and hogs of 
the inhabitants. 

The Wedding Party. — Many other stories of the perils 
of the settlers might be told. In one instance a wedding 
part}^ was attacked by the savages when at the height 
of its enjoyment. The bride and groom and nearly all 
the others were taken prisoners, loaded with the plunder 
of the savages, and carried off into a cruel captivity. 



332 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

The people living near by fled to the nearest settle- 
ment. One man who had his aged mother and a child 
to save was pursued so closely that he had to desert 
the child in order to save his mother. On his return 
the next day, to his heartfelt joy the child was found 
asleep in its bed, the only being left alive by the sav- 
age foe. 

A Western Industry. — There was one difficulty which 
the Western settlers had to meet. They raised more 
grain than they needed for food. There were then no 
railroads nor canals, and they had no easy way to send 
this grain to the towns of the East, while there was 
little demand for it in the West. As it was not needed 
for food, they made whisky from it, great quantities 
of corn and rye being thus used. It was easier to carry 
the whisky to market than the grain, for a small 
quantity of whisky represented many bushels of grain. 

The Whisky War. — In 1790 Congress laid a tax on 
all distilled spirits. This law was violently opposed 
by the people of Western Pennsylvania, who declared 
that they would not pay the tax. Meetings were held, 
the officers of the law were resisted, and the excitement 
in time grew so great that several persons were tarred 
and feathered and the lives of the officials were not 
safe. The government tried to quiet the people and 
induce them to obey the law, but in vain. 

At length, in 1794, President Washington was 
oblig(;d to call out the militia of Pennsylvania and the 
neighboring States to put down the rebellion. Fifteen 
thousand men were gathered and marched across the 
mountains towards the locality of the revolt. The 
coming of the soldiers soon settled the difficulty. A 



THE PROGRESS OF THE STATE 333 

few of the leaders were held for trial, but no one was 
punished, and the "Whisky War," as it was called, 
came quietly to an end. 

New Markets. — It was not long before the farmers 
began to find a market foT their grain in the West, 
while the great national highway known as the Cum- 
berland Road, from Cumberland, Marjdand, across 
the mountains to Wheeling, Virginia, which was 
begun in 1806, made a new avenue of transporation to 
the East. 

The Hot Water Rebellion.— The "Whisky War" was 
the work of the excitable Scotch-Irish of Western 
Pennsylvania. Soon afterwards the Germans in the 
east of the State became disturbed by a law laying a 
tax on houses. An outbreak took place, which was 
called the "Hot Water Rebellion," from the fact that 
a woman poured hot water on an assessor who was 
measuring her house for taxation. An auctioneer 
named Fries was the leader in the disturbance, and in 
March, 1799, he made his way at the head of a hundred 
armed men to Bethlehem and set free some prisoners 
who had been taken there. A force was now sent by 
the governor, and the revolt came to an end. Fries 
hid in a swamp, but was taken prisoner and condemned 
to death. He was pardoned by President Adams. 

Yellow Fever. — Philadelphia has at various times 
been the seat of violent epidemics of yellow fever. The 
first of these was in 1G99. In 1762 the fever raged 
terribly in the city, and also with great violence in 
1793 and 1797. In 1793, Stephen Girard, the cele- 
brated Philadelphia merchant, showed the greatest 
Reeling for the sick, whom he nursed in the hospital 



334 HISTORY OF TENNSYLVANIA 

at imminent risk to his own life. The new ideas about 
cleanliness and the sanitary methods now in use have 
removed all danger of further outbreaks of this dreaded 
disease. 

Growth of Pittsburg. — Fort Pitt, the strongest fort 
west of the Alleghanies, in time became a place for 
traders to meet and settlers to locate. A few log huts 
were first built; then a small village grew up; finally 
a city developed. The Penn family owned the land 
about the forks of the rivers until 1784, when it was 
divided into lots and offered for sale. At that time 
Pittsburg was but a small place, trading by wagons 
and pack-horses with Baltimore and Philadelphia. 
In 1786 its people numbered nearly five hundred, and 
the Pittsburg Gazette, the first newspaper west of the 
mountains, was started. 

Industries of Pittsburg and Alleghany City. — In 1816 
Pittsburg became a city. The borough of Alleghany, 
on the opposite side of the Alleghany River, also in 
time was made a city, and the two were combined in 
1907 into one city and now form one great centre of 
trade and manufacture. In the production of iron and 
steel this city has no equal in the country, while its 
trade, which has long been largely by way of the Ohio, 
has been immensely extended by the aid of canals and 
railroads. 

The City of Erie. — In 1795, when the town of Erie, 
on the shore of Lake Eric, was laid out, there were 
only four families in what is now Erie County. Thia 
county was formed in 1800, having at that time nearly 
fifteen hundred inhabitants. Highways' were laid out, 
one connecting with Pittsburg by way of the Alle- 



THE PROGRESS OF THE STATE 335 

ghany River, and a large trade sprang up by the 
avenue of the roads and the lake. Iron- and glass- 
ware, flour and grain, salt, whisky, and bacon, were 
some of the principal articles of trade. 

The Lakes in the War of 1812.— The town of Erie 
became a point of importance in 1812, after the second 
war with Great Britain began. The great lakes were 
at first in full possession of the enemy, and all the 
settlements along their shores were in danger. To 
change this state of affairs the government decided 
that a fleet should be built, and Erie was selected as 
the place of building. 

Building a Fleet. — In the summer of 1812 a naval 
officer named Daniel Dobbins was sent to Erie with 
orders to build vessels, and by winter he had a small 
fleet well under way. Captain Oliver H. Perry was 
sent there in March, 1813, to command the fleet. He 
found much still to be done, and set to work with 
energy to do it. Trees were cut in the forest, and in a 
short time their timber formed part of ships. The 
iron for the vessels was brought from Pittsburg by boat 
and wagon, and cannon and balls were transported from 
the same place. 

Perry's Victory. — In August the fleet was ready for 
action, and Perry set sail in search of the enemy. On 
the 10th of September the two fleets met and fought, 
and by four o'clock in the afternoon every vessel in 
the British fleet had surrendered. Before sunset Perry 
sent to General Harrison his famous despatch, "We 
have met the enemy, and the}' are ours." 

Philadelphia Defended. — Pennsylvania had little 
more to do in this war. British war-ships entered the 



336 



HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 



Delaware and Chesapeake Bays in the summer of 1814, 
and volunteers were called out. Earthworks were 
thrown up on the roads leading to Philadelphia, and a 
large number of men were soon under arms. The enemy 
did not enter Pennsylvania, but several thousand men 
were kept in the camps along the Delaware until the 
close of the year, when all danger was at an end. 

Slavery in Pennsylvania. — We may conclude this 
review of political affairs by stating what was done on 




Perry on Lake Erie 

the subject of slavery. Negro slaves were kept in Penn- 
sylvania from its origin until the close of the Revolution. 
This was against the wish of many of the people. The 
Friends and the German religious societies protested 
against the system, but it was kept up by British power 
until the war brought that power to an end. The trade 
in slaves was too valuable to the merchants of Great 
Britain to be given up. 



INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT 337 

Abolition of Slavery. — A law was passed on March 
1, 1780, for the gradual abolition of slavery in Penn- 
sylvania. The slaves then held were to continue such 
until their death, but all the children of slaves born 
after that date were to become free at the age of twenty- 
eight. The number of slaves soon began to decrease. 
In 1790 there were 3737; in 1810, 795; in 1830, G7. In 
the census of 1850 one name still remained on the roll. 
Those slaves who had grown old in bondage were con- 
tent to end their lives in the service of their masters. 

6. INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT. 

Steamboat Inventors. — So far we have paid attention 
mainly to political matters. Now something needs to 
be said about the great industrial development of the 
State. It is of interest to know that the first experi- 
ments in America with steamboats were made on the 
Delaware. John Fitch placed a small steamboat on 
this river in 1787, and in 1790 had a passenger-boat 
running on the river at the speed of seven miles an 
hour. It was a crude kind of boat, moved by oar-like 
paddles. Robert Fulton, who invented the first suc- 
cessful steamboat, was born in Pennsylvania, and 
Oliver Evans made himself famous by his experiments 
on steam-wagons, one of which, intended for a steam 
dredge, he ran througli the streets of Philadelphia 
many years before the clays of the railroad locomotive. 

Canals. — Pennsylvania was one of the first States to 
consider the making of canals. In 1769 a survey for a 
canal between the Delaware and Chesapeake Bays 
was ordered by the American Philosophical Society of 
Philadelphia. About the s-ame time the assembly of 
22 



338 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

the province had a survey made for a canal from the 
Delaware River to Pittsburg and Erie, a distance of 
five hundred and eighty-two miles. This canal project 
was strongly approved by the governor, but was beyond 
the power of the province to carry out. At that time 
Europe had no canal of such a length. Still earlier, in 
1762, a survey for a canal from the Schuylkill to the 
Susquehanna had been made. This was the line after- 
wards followed by the Union Canal, begun in 1791 
and completed in 1827. 

Various other canals were begun at a later date, the 
Schuylkill in 1816, the Lehigh in 1818, the Conestoga in 
1825, and the Pennsylvania in 1827. This last-named 
canal, which stretched far across the State, and was in 
conformity with the project entertained over fifty years 
before, was four hundred and twenty-six miles in the 
total length of its several sections. In 1840 there were 
twelve hundred and eighty miles of canal in the State. 

Railroads. — The progress of canals was checked by 
that of railroads, which began shortly before 1830. The 
first railroad constructed in this country was a short 
road with wooden rails, built in 1806 in a quarry near 
Chester, Pennsylvania. In 1827 a railroad nine miles 
long was constructed from Mauch Chunk to the coal- 
mines in its vicinit3^ The next railroad in the State 
was the Carbondale road, extending from the Delaware 
and Hudson Canal to the mines, and on this was placed 
in 1829 the first loconiotive ever used in this country, 
the "Stourbridge Lion," imported from England. 

By the end of 1835 the railroads of Pennsylvania 
mostly built to transport coal, were three hundred 
and eighteen miles in length. At that time there were 



INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT 339 

but one thousand miles in the whole country. The 
Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad (eighty-two miles) 
and the Portage Railroad (thirty-six miles) were opened 
in 1834. These, with the canals, fojmed a continuous 
line extending from Philadelphia to Pittsburg. This 
was superseded by the Pennsylvania Central Railroad, 
completed in 1854. By that date railroads were widely 
extended through the State. 

Anthracite Coal. — The early development of canals 
and railroads in Pennsylvania was due to its mines of 
coal and iron, and of these something must here be 
said. This State is remarkable for its great deposits 
of anthracite coal, which are far richer than any in 
Europe or elsewhere in America. This kind of coal, 
"stone coal" it has been called, is much harder than 
bituminous coal and not so easily burned, so that i1i 
took many years to bring it into general use. 

Coal Discoveries. — Anthracite coal was discovered in 
the Wyoming Valley in 1768, and was first used by two 
blacksmiths who had set up a forge in that section. 
The coal of the Lehigh region was found in 1791 by a 
hunter named Philip Ginter, who, while hunting on 
Bear Mountain, nine miles west of Mauch Chunk, 
struck his foot against a black stone and saw pieces 
of the same substance in the earth about the roots of a 
fallen tree. He had heard of the stone coal of Wyoming 
Valley, and took a piece of this home with him. It 
proved to be pure anthracite coal. In 1793 the Lehigh 
Coal-Mine Company was formed, but it took years to 
bring its coal into use. 

The Schuylkill coal was also discovered by a hunter. 
This man, Nicho AJlen, camped one night in 1790 under 



340 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

a ledge of rocks, building his fire on some pieces of 
black stone which had fallen from above. He woke in 
the night and found them red-hot, and burning. Five 
years afterwards the blacksmiths of that region were 
using this black rock in their furnaces. 

The Burning of Coal. — In 1803 the Lehigh Coal-Mine 
Company sent some boat-loads of coal to Philadelphia. 
It was hard to find a purchaser, but the city at length 
bought it to use at the water-works. No one there 
knew how to burn it, and in the end it was broken up 
and spread on the public foot-walks. 

AYilliam Morris took a wagon-load of Schuylkill coal 
to Philadelphia in ISIO, but no one was willing to buy 
it. In 1812 Colonel Shoemaker took nine loads to the 
city. Some of these were sold to blacksmiths, and one 
to the Fairmount Nail and Wire Works. 

Here an earnest effort was made to burn it. A good 
fire was built in the furnace and the coal thrown in. 
For half a day the men spent time in "poking and 
raking and stirring and blowing," but the coal would 
not burn. At dinner-time, worn out and disgusted, 
they slammed the doors of the furnace shut and went 
home to their meals. When they came back, to their 
astonishment, the furnace was red-hot and the coal at 
a white heat. All it had wanted was a draught from 
below. It was the hottest fire they had ever seen, and 
from that time there was no trouble in selling anthracite 
coal. Some from the Lehigh region, which was brought 
to the city in 1814, was sold to the wire-mill at twenty- 
one dollars a ton. 

Bituminous Coal. — The use of bituminous coal, 
which is very abundant in the western part of the State, 



INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT 341 

began soon after settlers reached there. It was first 
burned by the blacksmiths, and afterwards in furnaces, 
and later great quantities of it were sent down the Ohio 
and Mississippi Rivers to the towns of the West and 
South. 

Iron= Works. — The working of iron from the iron- 
mines of the State began at Coventry Forge in Chester 
County, in 1720. There were four blast-furnaces in 
operation in 1728, and others were rapidly added. It 
was not until 1839 that anthracite coal was successfully 
used to reduce iron ores, and from that time the pro- 
duction of iron very rapidly increased. 

Oil on the Water. — There is one other great natural 
product of Pennsylvania of which something must be 
said. When the whites first reached the western part 
of the State they found that the Seneca Indians had 
long been in the habit of visiting certain streams in 
that section to perform religious ceremonies. An oily 
scum covered the surface of these streams, and it was 
the custom of the Indians to set fire to this. As it 
flamed upward, the savages ran along the banks of the 
stream, dancing and singing. 

Oil from the Earth. — The white settlers first obtained 
this oil by dipping blankets into the water and then 
pressing out the oil. It was also found to exude from 
the earth, and finally, about 18G0, men began to sink 
artesian wells, in the hope of finding oil deep in the 
earth. They were very successful in this, and the pro- 
duction and refining of petroleum or rock oil have 
grown into immense industries. From some of the 
wells came up great quantities of gas which could be 
burned, and this was conducted in pipes to Pittsburg 



342 



HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 



and other cities, where it was long used in houses and 
workshops in place of coal. 

Manufacturing Cities. — The abundance of iron, coal, 
oil, and other products of nature had much to do with 
the industrial history of Pennsylvania, which has taken 
a leading position among the manufacturijig States of 
the Union. Its largest cities, Philadelphia and Pitts- 
burg, rank high among the centres of industry of the 




Oil Derricks at McDonald, Pa. 

world, while Scranton, Reading, Pottsville, and other 
cities of the coal and iron regions are active in manu- 
facturing industries. 

Colonial Production. — During the colonial period 
activity in manufacture was prevented by British laws, 
only some simple articles for home use being made. 
There were saw and grist-mills, linen and woollen goods 
were woven at home, and many vessels were built in 
the ship-yards on the Delaware, but it was not until 
after the Revolution that production became active. 



INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT 343 

The abundance of iron ore was early discovered, but 
the manufacture of iron was held in check by the laws 
of Great Britain, and little could be done until the 
province had become a State and its people were free 
to make for themselves the goods they needed. 

Mines and Workshops. — During the period of its 
existence as a State the progress of Pennsylvania in 
mining and manufactures has been very great. The 
yield of its mines of coal and iron has been enormous, 
its oil-wells have supplied the world with a valuable 
product, and its workshops have developed until they 
have no superiors in the world. In the workshops of 
Pittsburg everything that can be made from iron is 
produced, while Philadelphia is celebrated throughout 
the world for the variety, abundance, and value of its 
manufactured goods. 

The Industries of Philadelphia. — In its early history 
Philadelphia was noted for its active shipping interests, 
in which it surpassed any other city of the New World. 
This supremacy it has not held. New York and Boston 
being far better situated for commerce. But in manu- 
factures it has grown to be one of the greatest cities of 
the world, having an enormous ship-building establish- 
ment, immense workshops for the manufacture of 
locomotives and other fabrics of iron and steel, woollen 
and cotton goods, carpets, refined sugar, and many 
other products, so that from end to end it is a great hive 
of industr}^ and a home of comfort and abundance. 

Book=Publishing. — For a long period after the Revo- 
lution Philadelphia was the great book-publishing 
centre of the country. There were all the great publish- 
ing houses, and there the leading magazines were issued. 



344 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

To these most of the able young writers of the country 
contributed. Charles Brockden Brown, the first suc- 
cessful American novelist, was a Philadelphian. It was 
long thought that no magazine could succeed unless 
published in Philadelphia. Of late years, however, 
Philadelphia has lost its eminence in this direction, 
though it is still an active publishing centre. 

Early Schools. — The people of Pennsylvania have 
ever been the warm friends and advocates of education, 
and in the early years of the colony provision was made 
for the instruction of its youth. Under a law enacted 
in the first year of the province, a school was opened 
at Philadelphia in 1683. This school was taught by 
Enoch Flowers, and in 1689 the Friends opened a 
school at Philadelphia, for which William Penn selected 
the motto, ''Good instruction is better than riches." 
This school still exists as the William Penn Charter 
School. 

Higher Education. — In 1736 the ''Log College," a 
classical school, was established in Bucks County, and 
thirteen years later a similar school was opened at New 
London, Chester County. The first school exclusively 
for the education of girls was established at Bethlehem, 
in 1749, by the Moravians, who also opened a boy's 
school, called Nazareth Hall, at Nazareth, in 1785. To 
the German Baptists, usually known as Dunkers, 
belongs the credit of having opened at Ephrata, Lan- 
caster County, in 1740, the first Sabbath-school in 
America. 

Free Schools. — The State Constitution of 1790 made 
it the duty of the Legislature to provide schools for 
the free instruction of the children of the poor, but no 



INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT 345 

law establishing schools for the free education of all 
classes was passed until 1834. In the following year 
a vigorous effort was made by the enemies of this 
system for the repeal of the law. In this crisis Mr. 
Thaddeus Stevens, a member of the Legislature, came 
to the rescue, making speeches throughout the State 
and rousing the press to the support of the free-school 
system. 

. His efforts were successful, and common-school 
education has since that time existed in Pennsylvania. 
The system of supervision by county superintendents 
was adopted in 1854, and the first State normal school 
was founded in 1857. At present Pennsylvania has 
thirteen normal and more than twenty-eight thousand 
common schools, while the pupils on the school rolls 
number more than one million two hundred thousand. 

Banking Institutions. — In the financial development 
of the country Pennsylvania long held a leading place. 
The Bank of North America, the first bank in the 
United States, was founded at Philadelphia in 1781. 
It was due to the genius of Robert Morris, the great 
financier of the Revolution. Ten years afterwards, 
in 1791, the first Bank of the United States was incor- 
porated at Philadelphia. In the following year the 
United States Mint was established in that city, and 
the coinage of money began. 

The first United States bank closed in 1811, and a 
second one was chartered in 1816 to run for twenty 
years. In 1832 a new charter was applied for, but 
President Jackson vetoed the bill, and the bank went 
out of existence in 183G. The handsome edifice of 
white marble, of Grecian architecture, built for it in 



346 



HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 



1819-24, is now used as the United States Custom- 
House and also as the Sub-Treasury at Philadelphia. 
The Bank of North America, the oldest banking insti- 




ll. S. Bank, now the ruiLADKi.i'niA Custom-Holsl. 

tution in the New World, is still actively engaged in 
business. 

7. RECENT HISTORY. 

Since the war of 1812-15 Pennsylvania has grown 
rapidly in wealth and population, its record presenting 
few of those striking events which attract the attention 
of the historian, but being marked by the steady suc- 
cession of those steps of industrial and social progress 
upon which the comfort and happiness of mankind 
depend. 

Mob Rule. — For years during this period the city of 
Philadelphia sank to a low level as a place of peaceful 



RECENT HISTORY 347 

residence, being at the mercy of mobs and organized 
bands of rioters. This state of affairs continued for a 
long time, its worst phase being reached between the 
years 1840 and 1850. 

The Fire Companies. — Before 1825 the fire companies 
had been composed of respectable people, but after 
that date men of rough character made their way into 
them, and for many years they were centres of riot and 
disorder. Fights between rival companies were com- 
mon, and buildings were often set on fire to furnish an 
opportunity for a fight. Dwellings would be allowed 
to burn while rival firemen were fighting for the posses- 
sion of a fire-plug, goods were ruined by water thrown 
without discretion, and houses were plundered by 
thieves in the dress of firemen. 

Dangerous Rioters. — In addition to the fire com- 
panies and their lawless retainers there were other 
gangs of rioters, calling themselves Schuylkill Rangers 
and other names, who made certain districts unsafe to 
live in. It was dangerous to be out at night, as these 
gangs indulged in desperate fights with one another, 
and even the boys imitated them by stone fights, which 
made the streets unsafe. The police force was weak 
and inefficient, and it was not until after the Civil 
^Yar that respect for law and order began to prevail. 

The Negroes Attacked. — During this period the 
negroes of the city were frecjuently attacked by mobs 
of the ignorant and brutal classes. On one of these 
occasions, in 1835, the negroes were hunted for two 
nights, their houses burned, many of them injured, 
and most of them driven away from the city. In 1838, 
Pennsylvania Hall, where some women were holding 



348 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

an anti-slavery meeting, was set on fire and burned to 
the ground. A church and a shelter for colored children 
were also burned. There were similar riots in 1S42 
and 1849, in which halls and churches were burned, 
the authorities making no effort to protect the perse- 
cuted negroes. 

The Native American Riots. — The worst riots of the 
city were those of 1844, when the ''Native Americans" 
— a society opposed to the immigration of foreigners — 
attacked the Irish Catholic population of the city. 
These riots continued at intervals for several months, 
and were attended with frequent and destructive street- 
fights. The militia were called out, but were fought by 
the mob, who had obtained cannon, which they dragged 
with muffled wheels through the dark streets to fire 
on the soldiers. Before the outbreak ended many lives 
had been lost, while thirty houses, three churches, and 
a convent were burned. 

The District System. — This state of affairs was partly 
due to the division of the city into districts and bor- 
oughs, each with its own laws and officials. The city 
itself occupied a small area, extending from Vine to 
South Street and from the Delaware to the Schuylkill, — 
two miles long by one mile wide. Around it were the 
districts of Southwark, Northern Liberties, Moyamen- 
sing. Spring Garden, etc., and various boroughs and 
townships, there being twenty-nine divisions in all. 

Consolidation. — This state of affairs continued until 
1854, when a consolidation act was passed which did 
away with the older system, and brought all the 
divisions within the city, which was extended to the 
limits of the county. Since then it has been much more 



RECENT HISTORY 



349 



easy to govern it, and the period of riot and disorder 
has passed away. 

A Pennsylvania President. — In 1856, James Buchan- 
an, a native of Franklin County, Pennsylvania, was elec- 
ted President of the United States. The country was 
at peace, though in a state of great excitement over 
the slavery question, when he took his seat. When 
he retired, March 4, 1861, it was on the verge of war. 

The Call for Troops. — On the 15th of April President 
Lincoln issued his first call for troops. At once, in 
every part of the State, men hastened to enlist, and on 
the morning of the 18th five companies from Pennsyl- 
vania marched into Washington, being the first of the 
volunteers to reach the National 
capital, which at that time was 
thought to be in great danger. In 
ten days after the date of the 
President's proclamation twenty- 
five Pennsylvania regiments, num- 
bering more than twenty-five thou- 
sand men, were ready to take part 
in the war. 

Some Leading Pennsylvanians. — 
Simon Cameron, Secretary of War, 
a native of Pennsylvania, advised 
the President to call out half a million of men and use 
every effort to overthrow the rebellion at the start. 
Thaddeus Stevens, a member of Congress from Penn- 
sj'lvania, urged the calling out of a million of men. 
They both held that it would be wise to set free and 
arm the slaves, that they might be used in the war. 
Andrew Curtin, the governor of the State, was one of 




Thaddeus Stevens. 



350 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

the most active of the Northern governors in supplying 
the government with men and materials for the war. 

The Reserve Corps. — On the loth of May a bill was 
passed by the Legislature providing for the enlistment 
of a body of troops known afterwards as the Pennsyl- 
vania Reserves. They numbered fifteen regiments, 
and were called into the field immediately after the 
battle of Bull Run, when Washington was again in 
danger from the enemy. They served with distin- 
guished gallantry in the fiercest battles of the war. At 
the head of the Reserves was Major-General McCall; 
its brigadiers were Generals Meade, Reynolds, and Ord, 
all of whom became famous in the war. 

The Refreshment Saloons. — Philadelphia did a noble 
service in the great struggle by feeding the weary and 
hungry regiments who passed through that citj' on 
their way to Washington. On the 27th of May, 1861, 
the Union Volunteer Refreshment Saloon was opened, 
and the Cooper Shop Volunteer Refreshment Com- 
mittee was soon after organized. Each regiment found 
awaiting it water for washing and bathing, clean towels, 
an abundance of well-cooked food, and numbers of 
patriotic attendants. 

These saloons were kept open during the war, and 
fed more than a million of men. A hospital for the sick 
was also established, and the generous people of Phila- 
delphia won the warm thanks of the President and of 
the governors of the Eastern and Northern States for 
their aid to the soldiers. 

Chambersburg Raided. — The first invasion of Pennsyl- 
vania took place on the 10th of October, 1802, shortly 
after the battle of Antietam, when a party of Confederate 



RECENT HISTORY 351 

cavalry, under General Stuart, made a raid through 
Franklin County, burning the railroad buildings at 
Chambcrsburg and destroying a large amount of war 
material. 

Battle of Gettysburg. — In the following summer the 
whole Confederate army of Virginia invaded the State, 
within whose limits was fought one of the greatest 
battles of modern times. This was the famous battle 
of Gettysburg, the turning-point in the great struggle 
for the existence of the nation. 

What took place at Gettysburg belongs to our general 
history. For an account of the battle, see the preceding 
"History of the United States." General Lee's hope 
was to defeat the army of the North and occupy the 
rich city of Philadelphia, which would have been a 
terrible disaster to the Union cause. Small parties 
of Confederate cavalry seized on Carlisle, York, and 
other places, burned railway bridges, and did other 
damage. To prevent them from crossing the Sus- 
quehanna, the great railway bridge at Columbia was 
burned by Union troops. 

But the defeat at Gettysburg put an end to General 
Lee's hopes and plans, and on the night of the 3d of 
July what was left of his army retreated in haste to- 
wards the Potomac. More than thirty thousand of his 
soldiers had been killed, wounded, or remained as 
captives. 

The Burning of Chambersburg. — A third invasion 
of Pennsylvania took place in Jul}^, 1864, when a party 
of cavalry from General Early's army made a rapid 
raid through the western part of the State, the town of 
Chambersburg being again entered. The people were 



352 



HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 



ordered to pay two hundred thousand dollars in gold or 
half a million in paper money if they would save their 
town from ruin. This they were not able to do, and 
the town was set on fire, no time being allowed for the 
removal of the sick or infirm. The flames destroyed 
two-thirds of the houses,, the loss to the people being 
estimated at two million dollars. 

The Sanitary Fair. — On June 7, 1SG4, there was 
opened at Philadelphia a great fair for the benefit of 
the Sanitary Commission of the army. The buildings 
w^ere erected on Logan Square, which they completely 
covered, and a large sum of money was raised for the 
use of that noble work of benevolence. 

Soldiers' Orphans. — Governor Curtin had early 
pledged the State to take care of the children of volun- 
teer soldiers who might fall in the war, and the Legis- 
lature passed a law for this purpose in 1864 In con- 
sequence soldiers' orphans' schools were established in 
different parts of the State, where 
the children of fallen patriots were 
taken care of and educated, and 
at the age of sixteen were put in 
positions to learn trades or were 
given business situations. 

Pennsylvania in the War. — Dur- 
ing the four years of the war Penn- 
sylvania sent to the field two 
hundred and seventy regiments 
and several companies, the whole 
numbering three hundred and eighty-seven thousand 
two hundred and eighty-four men. In addition to the 
generals in command of the Reserve Corps, already 




Gen. George G. Meade. 



RECENT HISTORY 353 

named, Pennsylvania supplied several other officers who 
became of great prominence in the army. 

Of these may be named Generals George B. McClellan 
and Winfield S. Hancock, both of whom afterwards 
became candidates for the office of President of the 
United States, General Meade, who was in command 
at the battle of Gettysburg, General Reynolds, who 
died on the field in that desperate struggle, and General 
Geary, who was elected Governor of Pennsylvania in 
1SG6. 

The State Constitution. — In 1701 the Assembly of the 
province of Pennsylvania adopted a constitution, to 
which William Penn gave his assent. In it the prin- 
ciples of American liberty were clearly outlined, some 
of its provisions being similar to those of the Constitu- 
tion of the United States. In 1776, shortly after the 
Declaration of Independence, a State constitution was 
formed, as already stated, and another in 1790, based 
in a measure on that just before formulated for the 
United States. This held good until 1838, w^hen a new 
constitution was adopted, which was amended in the 
years 1850, 1857, and 18C4. In 1873 a constitutional 
convention was held, in which the present constitution 
of the State was prepared and adopted. 

The Centennial Exposition. — As the years moved on 
and the hundredth anniversary of American independ- 
ence came near, it was resolved to celebrate this im- 
portant anniversary by a great World's Fair; and as 
the Declaration of Independence had been made and 
signed in Philadelphia, that city was selected as the 
proper site for the celebration. Three years before, 
in 1873, a large banking-house in Philadelphia had 
23 



354 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

failed, and a business panic begun from which the 
country was still suffering. This interfered in part 
with the success of the fair, but it proved to be one of 
the largest and most important exhibitions of the work 
of human art and industry ever held. 

The buildings were erected in Fairmount Park, and 
covered a great extent of ground, the Main Hall cover- 
ing twenty acres. Many millions of persons visited 
the fair, and many valuable lessons were learned from 
it. One of these was that America was far behind 
Europe in art work. Since then there has been a great 
development in American art, which had its origin in 
the art display at the Centennial Exposition. But it 
was found that in machinery and invention America 
had nothing to learn from Europe, but much to teach it. 

The Railroad Strike. — In 1877, the year after the 
Centennial Fair, great strikes broke out in Pennsjd- 
vania. The business depression which began in 1873 
had been felt by workmen in a lowering of wages. In 
1877 several railroad companies reduced the wages 
of their men. 

The strike that followed extended through most of 
the Northern States, and for two weeks the trains were 
prevented by the strikers from moving. A strike of 
the coal-miners of Pennsylvania also took place, and 
in all about one hundred and fifty thousand men 
stopped work. Rioting followed, much property was 
destroyed, and a number of lives were lost. 

The Riot at Pittsburg. — The worst of the riots was at 
Pittsburg. Here the State militia were attacked by a 
furious mob, and great numbers of freight cars were 
plundered and burned. The railroad buildings were 



RECENT HISTORY 355 

set on fire, the total loss being nearly three millions of 
dollars. Finally United States troops had to be sent 
to Pittsburg to suppress the riot. During the outbreak 
nearly one hundred persons were killed. 

The Homestead Strike. — We have one more serious 
strike to speak of, — that which took place at the steel- 
works at Homestead, near Pittsburg, in 1892. Detec- 
tives were hired by the proprietors to protect their 
works, and these were fired upon and taken prisoners 
by the strikers, men being killed on both sides. The 
militia of the State had to be called out, and the works 
guarded for several weeks, before order was restored. 
The loss was great to the owners and the workmen, 
and the State was put to a large expense. 

Johnstown Flood. — The most terrible disaster ever 
known in the United States took place at Johnstown, 
a busy manufacturing city in the central region of the 
State, on May 31, 1889. The Conemaugh River was 
flooded by the bursting of a large dam several miles 
above the citj^, which was completely destroyed by the 
rushing torrent. More than two thousand persons 
were drowned and ten million dollars' worth of property 
were destroyed. Everywhere throughout the State the 
people gave freely for the aid of the sufferers, and for 
months charity and sympathy seemed to be their only 
thoughts. 

Anniversary Occasions. — The centennial celebration 
of 187G was soon followed by other important celebra- 
tions. In 1882 came the two-hundredth anniversary 
of the landing of "William Penn, and this was celebrated 
at Philadelphia with suitable ceremonies. In 1887 
arrived the hundredth anniversary of the adoption of 



356 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

the Constitution of the United States, which was made 
a great occasion at Philadelphia, being celebrated by a 
series of grand processions, military and industrial. 

Electrical Exhibition. — In 1884 an International 
Electrical Exhibition was held in Philadelphia, in 
which all the discoveries in this art made up to that 
time were displayed. It was the most important ex- 
hibit of electrical inventions that had been held" up to 
that date. 

Washington Monument. — In 1897 a grand equestrian 
statue of George Washington was erected at the en- 
trance of Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, by the Society 
of the Cincinnati. The dedication was made the occa- 
sion of grand military and bicycle processions, presided 
over by President McKinley. The monument is one 
of the finest and most artistic in the United States. 

The State Capitol Burned. — The State Capitol at 
Harrisburg, the corner-stone of which was laid May 31, 
1819, and the main building completed in 1821, caught 
fire on February 2, 1897, and was burned to the ground. 
Fortunately, the most valuable of the public records 
were saved. A strong effort was made to have the 
State capital removed to Philadelphia, but it was 
decided to make no change, but to erect a new Capitol 
on the ground which had been occupied by the old one. 
This has since been done, a very handsome building 
being erected. 

Restoration of Independence Hall. — The anniversary 
celebrations mentioned were followed by a desire to 
restore Independence Hall to the condition in which 
it existed during the Revolution. This restoration 
was completed by 1900, all the later buildings being 



RECENT HISTORY 



357 



removed and the rooms brought back to their old state, 
and supplied, as far as possible, with their old furniture. 
Liberty Bell. — In this hall is carefully preserved the 
most valuable historical relic alike of Pennsylvania 
and of the United States, the old bell which rang out 
to the world the story of American independence in 
1776. This bell, received in Philadelphia in 1752, 
bears the strikingly significant inscription, 'Troclaim 
liberty throughout all the land, to all the inhabitants 
thereof." It was last rung on the morning of July 8, 




Independence Hall. 



1835, when it cracked while being tolled in memory of 
Chief Justice Marshall. Since then the bell has several 
times left the city, having been sent to the exhibitions 
at New Orleans, Chicago, Atlanta, Charleston, and St. 
Louis, at which places it formed a principal centre of 
attraction. Many Philadelphians object to its being 
again permitted to leave its resting place in Independ- 
ence Ha!l, they fearing that some accident might 
befall it. 



358 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

The Commercial Museums. — On June 1, 1897, an 
important event took place at Philadelphia, in the 
opening of the Commercial Museums, a collection of 
industrial products from all parts of the world obtained 
from the Columbian Exposition at Chicago in 1893, 
and from many other sources. This institution was 
the first of its kind in the world, and has proved of the 
utmost advantage to the merchants of Philadelphia 
and other localities. 

The National Export Exposition. — Several large build- 
ings were erected for the Commercial Museums in 1899, 
on the west bank of the Schuylkill, and there was held 
in them, during the autumn of that year, a National 
Export Exposition, which was visited by more than 
a million people, and made an imposing display of the 
products of American manufacturers. 

Commercial and Political Conventions. — During the 
exposition there was held in its hall a Commercial 
Congress, attended by delegates from all parts of the 
world, and of high commercial advantage. The great 
auditorium of these buildings was used in -June, 1900, 
by the National Republican Convention, for the nomi- 
nation of candidates for President and Vice-President, 
the first convention of this kind that had been held 
in the East for many years. On this occasion William 
McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt were nominated. 

Political Conditions. — The activity of manufacturing 
industries in Pennsylvania and the favor in which the 
principle of high tariff w^as held gave the Republican 
party a large majority in that State, and thus favored 
the growth of political dominance in the party leaders. 
This was especially the case from the date of the elec- 



RECENT HISTORY 359 

tion of Matthew S. Quay to the United States Senate 
in 1887 to his death in 1904. What is called the " politi- 
cal machine" reached its highest development in the 
hands of Quay, who ruled the party like an autocrat, 
though many charges of corrupt dealing were made 
against him. 

A Popular Revolt. — After the death of Quay his suc- 
cessors sought to keep up the system of "Boss rule" 
and to control the elections and the legislature, but 
the people rose in revolt against them, and in the 
November election of 1905 the cause of reform won an 
important victory. The popular feeling grew so strong 
that Governor Pennypacker called an extra session 
of the legislature to meet in January, 1906. As a result 
a number of important reform bills were passed, de- 
signed especially to promote honesty in elections. 
These included the registration of voters, direct voting 
for candidates at primary elections, etc. The Civil 
Service principle was adopted for cities of the first class. 

Corruption in Philadelphia. — The revolt above men- 
tioned had its origin in Philadelphia, corruption in 
awarding contracts and granting privileges having 
grown so flagrant that this city came to be looked upon 
as the worst governed in the world. Reform move- 
ments seemed hopeless until the spring of 1905, when 
John Weaver, the Mayor, refused to sanction a corrupt 
deal with the company leasing the gas-works. The 
people rose to his support and in a few weeks' time 
the power of the "machine" was overthrown. In the 
fall election the reform party won a notable victory, 
but the party formerly in control regained its suprem- 
acy in the spring election of 1907. 



360 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

The New State Capitol. — The most striking example 
of dishonesty in public affairs had to do with the new 
State Capitol, at Harrisburg, which was built at a cost 
of $4,000,000, while about $9,000,000 was expended 
in its furnishing and decorations. When this enormous 
waste of the public funds became known there was a 
general feeling of indignation, and the legislature 
appointed a committee to make a stringent investiga- 
tion. Evidence of fraud and immense overcharge was 
found in all parts of the building, and in a legal prose- 
cution of the men chiefly concerned they were found 
guilty and sentenced to fine and imprisonment. 

Development in Philadelphia. — The "Quaker City," 
as Philadelphia is often called, has grown with great 
rapidity and for many years was the largest city in the 
United States. "With more than a million inhabitants 
at the census of 1900, it has gained the name of the 
"city of homes," from its great number of comfortable 
dwellings for families of moderate means. The city is 
well lighted, has an excellent system of electric cars, 
and in Fairmount Park has the finest public park in the 
country. It is now being improved by handsome 
boulevards and a magnificent Parkway, from the City 
Hall to the Park, to be bordered by splendid buildings 
and decorated with trees and shrubbery. 

Population of State and Large Cities. — In 1010, Penn- 
sylvania ranked second among the States, having a 
population of 7,665,111. The population of its larger 
cities was : Philadelphia, 1,549,008 ; Pittsburg (includ- 
ing Allegheny), 533,905 ; Scranton, 129,867 ; Reading, 
96,071 ; Wilkesbarre, 67,105 ; Harrisburg, 64,186 ; 
Johnstown, 55,482 ; and Altoona, 52,127. 



COUNTIES IN PENNSYLVANIA 



361 



COUNTIES IN PENNSYLVANIA. 



Counties. 



When 
formed . 



County towns. 



When 
laid out. 



Chester 

Bucks 

Philadelphia. ... 

Lancaster 

York 

Cumberland. . . . 

Berks 

Northampton. . . 

Bedford 

Northumberland 
Westmoreland. . 
Washington. . . . 

Fayette 

Franklin 

Montgomery. . . . 

Dauphin 

Luzerne 

Huntingdon. ... 

Alleghany 

Delaware 

Mifflin 

Somerset 

Lycoming 

Greene 

Waj'ne , 

Armstrong 

Adams 

Butler 

Beaver 

Centre 

Crawford 

Erie 

Mercer 

Venango 

Warren 

Indiana 

Jefferi^on 

McKean 

Potter 

Tioga 



1682 
1682 
1682 
1729 
1749 
1750 
1752 
1752 
1771 
1772 
1773 
1781 
1783 
1784 
1784 
1785 
1786 
1787 
1788 
1789 
1789 
1795 
1796 
1796 
1796 
1800 
1800 
1800 
1800 
1800 
1800 
1800 
1800 
1800 
1800 
1803 
1804 
1804 
1804 
1804 



West Chester. 
Doylestown. . . 
Philadelphia. . 
Lancaster. . . . 

York 

Carlisle 

Reading 

Easton 

Bedford 

Sunbury 

Greensburg. . . 
Washington. . 
Uniontown. . . 
Chambersburg 
Norristowu. . . , 
Harrisburg. . . 
Wilkesbarre. . 
Huntingdon. . 

Pittsburg 

Media 

Lewistown ... 

Somerset 

Wiliiamsport . , 
Waynesburg. . 

Honesdale 

Kittanning. . . . 
Gettysburg. . . . 

Butler 

Beaver 

Bellefonte 

Meadville 

Erie 

Mercer 

Franklin 

Warren 

Indiana 

Brookville 

Smethport 

Coudersport. . . 
Well.sborough. 



1786 
1778 
1682 
1730 
1741 
1751 
1748 
1738 
1766 
1772 
1782 
1782 
1767 
1764 
1784 
1785 
1783 
1767 
1765 
1849 
1790 
1795 
1796 
1796 
1826 
1804 
1787 
1803 
1791 
1795 
1795 
1795 
1803 
1795 
1795 
1805 
1830 
1807 
1807 
1806 



362 



HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 



COUNTIES IN PENNSYLVANIA {Continued). 



Counties. 


When 
formed. 


County towns. 


WTien 
laid out. 


Cambria 


1804 
1804 
1810 
1810 
1811 
1812 
1813 
1813 
1813 
1814 
1820 
1831 
1836 
1839 
1839 
1842 
1843 
1843 
1846 
1847 
1848 
1850 
1850 
1850 
1855 
1860 
1878 


Ebensburg 


1805 


Clearfield 


Clearfield 


1805 


Bradford 


Towanda. . 


1812 


Susquehanna 


Montrose. . 


1811 


Schuylkill 


Pottsville . 


1816 


Lehigh 


Allentown 


1751 


Lebanon 


Lebanon. . . 


1750 


Columbia 


Bloomsburg 


1802 


Union 


Lewisburg 


1785 


Pike 


Milford.. . 


1800 


Perry 


New Bloomfield 

Miff] int own 


1822 


Juniata 


1791 


Monroe 


Stroudsburg 

Clarion 


1806 


Clarion 


1840 


Clinton 


Lockhaven . . 


1833 


Wvoming 


Tunkhannock 

Mauch Chunk 

Ridgway 

Hollidavsburg. . . . 


1790 


Carbon 

Elk 


1815 
1843 


Blair 


1820 


Sullivan 


Laporte 


1850 


Forest 


Tionesta 


1852 


Fulton 


McConnellsburg 

New Castle 


1796 


Lawrence 


1802 


Montour 

Snyder 


Danville 

Middleburg 


1790 
1800 


Cameron 

Lackawanna 


Emporium 

Scranton 


1861 
1840 









GOVERNORS OF THE SWEDISH AND DUTCH COLONIES 
ON THE DELAWARE, OF THE ENGLISH PROVINCE 
AND OF THE STATE OF PENNSYLVANIA. 



1633-41. Peter Minuit. 
1641-43. Peter Hollender. 
1643-53. John Printz. 

DUTCH. 

1655-57. John Paul Jacquet. 1658-63 

1657-59. Jacob Alrichs* (city). 



SWEDISH. 

1653-54. John Pappegoya. 
1654-55. John Claude Rysingh. 



William Beekman 
(Company'! . 



*Colony divided into city and company, 1657. 



GOVERNORS 



363 



1659-63. .Alexander d'Hinoy- 1663-64. Alexander d'Hinoy- 
ossa (city). ossa.* 

1657-58. Goeran Van Dyck 
(company) . 

ENGLISH. 

1664-67. Richard Nicholls. 1667-73. Francis Lovelace. 

DUTCH. 

1673-74. Peter Alrichs, 

Deputy Gooernor. 

ENCn.ISH. 

1674-81. Sir Edmund Andros. 



WILLIAM PENN, 

16S1-S2. William Markham, 

Deputy Governor. 
1682-84. William Penn. 
1684-86. The Council (Thomas 

Lloyd, President). 
1686-88. Five Commissioners 

appointed by Penn. 
1688-90. John Rlackwell, 

Deputy Governor. 
1690-91. The Council (Thomas 
Lloyd, President) . 
1691-92. Thomas Lloyd, 

Deputy Governor: 
1693-95. Benjamin Fletcher, 
Royal Governor of New York. 



PROPRIETOR. 

1695-99. William Markham (un- 
der restored pro- 
prietorship). 

Deputy Governor. 

1699-1701. Wilham Penn. 

1701-03. Andrew Hamilton. 

Lieutenant Governor. 

1703-04. The Council (Edward 
Shippen, President). 

1704-09. John Evans, 

Lieutenant Governor. 

1709-17. Charles Gookin, 

Lieutenant Governor. 

1717-18. Sir William Keith, 

Lieutenant Governor. 



JOHN, RICHARD, AND THOMAS PENN, PROPRIETORS. 

1718-26. Sir WiUiam Keith, 1736-.38. The Council (James 

Lieutenant Governor. Logan, President). 

1726-36. Patrick Gordon, 1738-47. George Thomas, 

Lieutenant Governor. Lieutenant Governor. 



*Colony united, 1663. 



364 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

JOHN PENN D. 1746. RICHARD AND THOMAS, PROPRIETORS. 

1747-48. The Council (Anthony 1756-59. WiUiam Denny, 

Palmer, President). Lieutenant Governor. 

1748-54. James Hamilton, 1759-63. James Hamilton, 

Lieutrnnnt Governor. Lieutenant Governor. 

1754-56. Robert H. Morris, 1763-71. John Penn, son of 

Deputy Governor. Richard, 

Lieutenant Governor. 

RICHARD PENN D. 1771. JOHN AND THOMAS, PROPRIETORS. 

1771. The Council (James Ham- 1773-76. John Penn, 

ilton, President). Lieutenant Governor. 

1771-73. Richard Penn, brother 
of John, 
Lieutenant Governor. 

UNDER FIRST STATE CONSTITUTION. 

1776-77. Committee of Safety 1781-82. William Moore. 

(Benjamin Franklin, President of Snp. Ex. Council. 

Chairman). 1782-85. John Diclcinson, . 

1777-78. Thomas Wharton, Jr., President of Sup. Ex. Counctl. 

President of Sup. Ex. Council. 1785-88. Benjamin Franklin, 

1778-George Bryan, vice Whar- President of Sup. Ex. Council. 

ton, deceased. 1788-90. Thomas Mifflin, 

1778-81. Joseph Reed, President of Sup. Ex. Council. 
President of Sup. Ex. Council. 

UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1790. 

1790-99. Thomas Mifflin. 1820-23. Joseph Hiester. 

1799-1808. Thomas McKean. 1823-29. John A. Shulze. 

1808-17. Simon Snyder. ' 1829-35. George Wolf. 

1817-20. William Findlay. 1835-39. Joseph Ritner. 

UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1838. 

1839-45. Da\'id R. Porter. 1855-58. James Pollock. 

1845-48. Francis R. Shunk. 1858-61. William F. Packer. 

1848-52. William F. Johnston, 1861-67. Andrew G. Curtin. 

vice Shunk, resigned. 1867-73. John W. Geary. 
1852-55 William Bigler. 



CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE 365 

UNPER CONSTITUTION OF 1873. 

1S73-79. John F. Hartranft. 1895-99. Daniel H. Hastings. 

1S79-S3. Henry M. Hoyt. 1899-1903. William A. Stone. 

1S83-S7. Robert E. Pattison. 190.3-07. S. W. Pennypacker. 

1887-91. James A. Beaver. 1907-11. Edwin S. Stuart. 

1891-95. Robert E. Pattison. 1911-15. John K. Tener. 

CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE OF INTERESTING EVENTS NOT 

MENTIONED IN THE PRECEDING HISTORY. 
1642. Lutheran catechism translated into the Indian language 

by Campanius. 
1646. Church built on Tinicum Island. First mention made of 

Upland, now Chester. 
1654. Treaty at Tinicum between the Swedes and the Indian chiefs. 
1657. School at New Amstel (New Castle), the first on record in 

the colony. 
1669. Block-house built at Wicaco; used as a church in 1677. 
1679. The first English child born in Pennsylvania. 

1682. The first English child born in Philadelphia. Letitia House 

erected for William Penn; now preserved in Fairmount 
Park. 

1683. The first grist-mill built near Germantown. First post-office 

established in Philadelphia. First school in Philadelphia, 
taught by Enoch Flower. 

1684. Pennsbury manor-house built for William Penn. First Bap- 

tist societies organized in Bucks County, near Bristol, 
and in Chester County. 

1685. Court-house at Chester erected. First printing-press in 

Philadelphia established by Wilham Bradford; an alma- 
nac the first issue. 

1686. The first prison in Philadelphia built. First Baptist church 

in Pennsylvania on Pennepack Creek, near site of Holmes- 
burg. First meeting-house in Germantown, built by 
German Friends. 

1688. Friends' meeting-houses built in Darby and Haverford. 

1689. Germantown incorporated. Public school established in 

Philadelphia; chartered by William Penn in 1701; still 
exists as the "William Penn Charter School." 



366 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

1692. First school established at Darby. 

1695. First Episcopal church erected in Philadelphia, on site of 

present Christ Church. Fulling-mill built in Darby. 

1696. The first paper-mill in Pennsylvania, erected near German- 

town. 

1700. Swedes' Church built on site of old block-house at Wicaco. 

John Penn, son of William Penn, born in the "Old Slate 
Roof House," Philadelphia. He was afterwards known as 
"The American." 

1701. Philadelphia chartered as a city. 

1704. The first Presbyterian church in the province erected at 
Philadelphia; known as the "Old Buttonwood Church." 

1706. The first Presbytery in America organized in Philadelphia. 

1707. The old court-house, ^Market Street, Philadelphia, erected. 
1713. The Friends' Almshouse founded at Philadelphia; buildings 

erected 1713-29. 
171S. William Penn died at Ruscombe, England. Dunkers settled 
about Germantown and in Lancaster County. 

1719. The first newspaper outside Boston, the third in America, 

published in Philadelphia; named The Amrrican Weekly 
Mercury. 

1720. The first iron furnaces erected in Pennsylvania. 

1721. The first insurance office opened in Philadelphia. 

1723. Benjamin Franklin arrived in Philadelphia. Paper money 

first issued in the province. 
172S. Bartram's Botanic Garden, near Gray's Ferry, begun. 

1729. The building of the State-House, Philadelphia, begun; com- 

pleted in 173-4. Publication of The Pennsylvania Gazette 
begun by Franklin; the first successful newspaper. Sec- 
ond paper-mill built, in Concord Township, Delaware 
County. Catholic chapel built near Frankford, Philadel- 
phia County. 

1730. Line of stages between Philadelphia and New Y'ork begun; 

bi-monthly; weekly in 1733. 

1731. The first Baptist church erected in Philadelphia. Inoculation 

first practised in Pennsylvania. Public library started by 
Benjamin Franklin; chartered as the Philadelphia Li- 
brary in 1742. 



CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE 367 

1732. " Poor Richard's Almanac " first issued by Franklin. " Colony 

in Schuylkill" club organized; still exists as "State in 
Schuylldll." 

1733. The first negroes emancipated in Philadelphia. First Ger- 

man Reformed church erected at Germantown. First 
Roman Catholic chapel in Philadelphia. 

1734. The first newspaper in the colonies in a foreign language 

(German) issued at Germantown. Small quantities of silk 
produced. First Masonic lodge in the province organized 
at Philadelphia, Benjamin Franklin, master. 

1735. Benjamin Franklin appointed postmaster of Philadelphia. 

1738. Benjamin West, the first native artist of America, born in 

Springfield, Delaware County. First fire company organ- 
ized in Philadelphia by Franklin. 

1739. Mora\aan settlement begun at the Forks of the Delaware. 

1740. Lazaretto for sick immigrants established at Tinicum. First 

permanent settlement at Bethlehem. 

1741. The first hterary journal in the colonies, The General Maga- 

zine and Historical Chronicle, estabhshed by Franklin at 
Philadelphia. 
1743. The American Philosophical Society founded in Philadelphia; 
incorporated 1780; building erected 1785. A German 
edition of the Bible issued at Germantown. 

1745. The Franklin stove invented by Benjamin Franklin. 

1746. The first iron rolling and slitting mill in Pennsylvania. 

1747. The first steel furnace erected in Philadelphia. 

1748. The first public lottery sanctioned by the assembly. The 

first German Lutheran Synod in the colonies organized in 
Philadelphia. 

1749. Academy established at Germantown. School for girls at 

Bethlehem. An academy and charitable school founded 
by Franklin at Philadelphia; opened as a Latin school 
1750; incorporated 1753; chartered in 1755 as "The 
College, Academy, and Charitable School of Philadelphia;" 
became the University of Pennsylvania in 1779. 

1750. In this year 5300 immigrants came to Pennsylvania; Philadel- 

phia had more than 2000 houses ; about 4500 in 1768; reached 
Boston in population about 1750; soon after was far ahead. 



368 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

1751. The Pennsylvania Hospital founded at Philadelphia; build- 

ing erected 1755 to 1S04. Loganian Library founded. A 
German and English newspaper published in Lancaster. 

1752. Cannon stoves first used. Mutual assurance company 

founded. Franklin discovered that lightning is due to 
electricity. The State-House bell imported from Eng- 
land; recast in Philadelphia 1753. 

1753. Benjamin Franklin made deputy postmaster-general for the 

British colonies. The daily delivery of letters by carriers 
began in Philadelphia. Two attempts uere made to find 
the Northwest passage by a vessel sent from Philadelphia. 

1755. Free school started by subscription at Easton. 

1756. Line of stages and wagons established between Philadelphia 

and Baltimore. 

1757. First weekly post from Philadelphia to Carlisle. 
1759. First theatre built in Philadelphia. 

1762. First lectures on anatomy in Philadelphia, by Dr. WiUiam 

Shippen. 

1763. Mason and Dixon began to run the boundary line between 

Pennsylvania and Maryland. 

1764. Grand Lodge of Masons organized in Philadelphia. Medical 

school founded, the oldest in the United States, now the 
medical department of the University of Pennsylvania. 
1766. Stage-coaches made the journey between Philadelphia and 
New York in two days; were called "flying machines." 

1769. Methodism first introduced into Pennsylvania. Chemistry 

first taught in America, by Dr. Rush. 

1770. Carpenters' Hall, at Philadelphia, built; ased by the First 

Continental Congress in 1774. 

1771. The Medical Society of Philadelphia organized. 

1773. The first Methodist Conference in the United States held at 

Philadelphia. The first steam-engine of American origin 
built in Philadelphia. 

1774. The Friends abolished slavery among themselves. 

1775. Benjamin Franklin appointed by Congress postmaster- 

general. 

1776. First powder-mill in Pennsylvania erected near Chester. 

Law passed for establishing schools in every county. 



CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE 369 

1777. State-House bell and Christ Church bells taken to places of 
safely to preserve them from the British. 

1780. The Humane Society of Philadelphia founded; incorpor- 
ated 1793. 

17S2. The first manufacture of fustians and jeans in America, at 
Philadelphia. 

1784. The Philadelphia Museum founded, by Charles M. Peale. 

The first daily newspaper in the country issued at Phila- 
delphia; previously a weekly, — The Pennsylvania Packet 
or the General Advertiser. 

1785. Fitch began experiments in steam navigation on the Dela- 

ware. The Philadelphia Agricultural Society founded, 
the first in the United States. 

1786. A Philadelphia directory issued, the first in the United 

States. The first mail between Philadelphia and Pitts- 
burg. The Pittsburg Gazette issued, the first newspaper 
west of the Alleghanies. The western boundary of the 
State settled. An act passed to appropriate sixty thou- 
sand acres of land in aid of public schools. 

1787. The College of Physicians at Philadelphia founded; char- 

tered 1789. Bishop White, the first Episcopal bishop in 
Pennsylvania and the second in the United States, or- 
dained in England. 

1789. First stage-coach fine from Philadelphia to Reading. First 

Episcopal Convention in America held at Philadelphia. 

1790. Congress begins its sessions in Philadelphia. First manu- 

facture of brooms from broom-corn. The Fitch steam- 
boats make regular trips for four months between Phila- 
delphia and Trenton. 

1791. First Sunday-school society in the United States founded 

in Philadelphia. First newspaper in Harrisburg, The 
Oracle of Dauphin. 

1792. The first turnpike road in the United States, from Philadel- 

phia to Lancaster, begun; length, sixty-two miles; com- 
pleted 1794. United States Mint established at Philadel- 
phia; Avorked by horse-power until 1815. 

1793. Second inauguration of President Washington, in Inde- 

pendence Hall. 
24 



370 fflSTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

1796. The first successful type-foundry in America established at 

Philadelphia. First paper-mill west of the mountains 
built near Brownsville. 

1797. John Adams inaugurated President of the United States in 

Independence Hall. 

1798. The Schuylkill Permanent Bridge at Philadelphia begun; 

opened in 1S05; the first of the kind in America. 

1799. The State Legislature met at Lancaster; continued to meet 

there until 1812. 

1800. Seat of the National government removed from Philadelphia 

to Washington. 

1801. Philadelphia supplied with water from Centre Square; works 

operated by steam; log pipes used. Chamber of Com- 
merce founded. Ground for the United States Navy- 
Yard purchased. 

1802. Law Library of Philadelphia established. 

1803. Pennsylvania first called the Keystone State. 

1804. First stage between Chambersburg and Pittsburg. 

1805. The Academy of Fine Arts of Philadelphia founded; incor- 

porated 1806. First dry-goods commission house in the 
country opened at Philadelphia. 

1806. First railroad in the United States built at Leiperville 

quarries, Delaware County; rails of wood; worked by 
horses. 
1808. First newspaper, The Mirror, published in Erie. Philadel- 
delphia Bible Society, the first in America, founded. 

1810. The Treaty Tree at Kensington blown down. The first 

steam ferry-boat to Camden, and steamboats from Phila- 
delphia to Chester and Bordentown, began running. 

1811. The first steamboat on Western waters launched at Pittsburg. 

1812. The first rolling-mill at Pittsburg built. Water-works begun 

at Fairmount, Philadelphia; finished 1815. Academy of 

Natural Sciences founded; incorporated 1816. 
1814. Philadelphia Orphan Society Asylum founded; incorporated 

1816. 
1816-17. Wire suspension bridge, first in the countr}', built over 

the Schuylkill at Philadelphia. 
1817. Bridge over the Susquehanna at Harrisburg finished. 



CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE 371 

1818. Bridge over the ]\Ionongahela built at Pittsburg. First 

steamboat launched on Lake Erie. First light-house on 
the great lakes built at Presque Isle. Lehigh Canal begun; 
completed 1838. 

1819. United States Bank building at Philadelphia begun; com- 

pleted 182-4. First bridge built over the Alleghany at 
Pittsburg. Apprentices' Library, Philadelphia, founded. 
Corner-stone of State Capitol at Harrisburg laid; build- 
ing completed 1821. 

1821. Deaf and Dumb Asylum founded in Philadelphia; building 

erected 1825. Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, the first 
in the country, established. 

1822. State Legislature first met in the Capitol at Harrisburg. 

Mercantile Library of Philadelphia founded; chartered 
1842. Grand Lodge of Odd-Fellows organized at Phila- 
delphia. 

1823. Eastern Penitentiary, Philadelphia, erected. The dam and 

waterworks at Fairmount completed. 

1824. Franklin Institute, Philadelphia, incorporated. The Amer- 

ican Sunday School Union formed. 

1825. Schuylkill Navigation Canal completed; begun 1815. His- 

torical Society of Pennsylvania founded at Philadelphia. 
IManufacture of queensware begun, the first in the country. 

1826. ]\Ianufacture of school slates begun in Pennsylvania, near 

the Delaware River. 

1827. The Jefferson ^ledical College founded at Philadelphia. 

Corner-stone of the first lock of the Pennsylvania Canal 
laid at Harrisburg. Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, 
the first in the United States, founded at Philadelphia. 
Mauch Chunk Railroad built; second iron track in the 
country. House of Refuge, Philadelphia, incorporated. 
Western Penitentiary, Pittsburg, completed. 

1828. First periodical in the country devoted to women. The 

Ladies Magazine, started at Philadelphia; united with 
Godey's Ladies' Book in 1837. First manufacture of paper 
from straw and hay, at Meadville. First run of a loco- 
motive on an American railroad, on Carbondale and 
Honesdale Railroad. 



372 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

1S29-32. United States Mint building erected at Philadelphia; 
new Mint building erected 1S97-1900. 

1830. First penny paper in the country, The Cent, issued at Phila- 
delphia; soon discontinued. 

1S31. Stephen Girard died, the richest man in the country, worth 
about ten million dollars. First locomotive built at 
Baldwin Works. 

1832. The Philadelphia, Germantown and Xorristown Railroad 

finished; the "Old Ironsides," the first effective locomo- 
tive in the State, used on it. Severe epidemic of cholera 
in Philadelphia. 

1833. The first National Temperance Convention held at Phila- 

delphia. Corner-stone of Girard College laid; building 
opened January 1, 1848. Institution for the Blind opened. 

1834. Common-school system of Pennsylvania established. First 

homoeopathic medical school in the world opened at Allen- 
town. Columbia line of canal and railroad opened to 
Pittsburg; operated by horse-power until 1836. 

1835. Manufacture of mineral teeth begun in Philadelphia about 

this time. 

1836. Pennsylvania Hospital for the Insane built at Philadelphia; 

opened 1841 . Philadelphia first lighted with gas February 1 0. 
1840. Pennsylvania and Ohio Canal completed; begun 1827. The 

city of Scranton founded. 
1842. New wire suspension bridge over the Schuylkill finished. 

1846. The first telegraph lines in Pennsylvania built. 

1847. The zinc-mines of Lehigh County discovered. 

1849. State Lunatic Asylum built at Harrisburg. First Women's 

Medical College in the world established at Philadelphia. 

1850. Western House of Refuge chartered at Pittsburg. School of 

Design for Women established at Philadelphia; first in 
the coimtry. The first factory west of the Alleghanies for 
working copper and brass opened at Pittsburg; first in 
the United States for working American copper. 
1852. Pennsylvania Training School for Feeble-Minded Children 
established at Germantown; removed to Elw3'n 1859. 
Manufacture of gahauized iron begun at Philadelphia; 
first in the country. 



CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE 373 

1553. Zinc-works at Bethlehem started; first sheet zine made 

there in 1S65. 

1554. Normal School at Philadelphia founded. 

1855. Corner-stone of Masonic Temple laid in Philadelphia; cor- 
ner-stone of new Masonic Temple laid in 1868; building 
dedicated 1873. Lemon Hill dedicated to the city as 
Fairmount Park, the first addition to the garden adjoin- 
ing Fairmount Hill; Sedgeley purchased in 1856, Lans- 
downe in 1866; George's Hill donated in 1867; other 
purchases subsequently. 

1857. Normal School bill passed; first State normal school opened 

at ]\Iillersville, 1859. Academy of ^lusic of Philadelphia 
completed. 

1858. Introduction of the street railway system of Philadelphia 

begun; change from horse to electric power begun in 
1892. 

1859. State Agricultural College opened in Centre County. 

1860. The business in petroleum begun; the wildest speculation 

ever known in the United States. 

1871. The Paid Fire Department of Philadelphia established. The 
building of the City Hall begun, the largest municipal 
building in America; corner-stone laid July 4, 1874. 

1874. Great inundation at Pittsburg; about one hundred lives 
lost ; immense destruction of property. 

1878. Cyclone at Philadelphia, October 23; more than four hun- 
dred buildings unroofed; more than one hundred injured 
and demolished. 

1880. Committee of One Hundred formed to jDromote honest poli- 
tics; disbanded 1886. 

1884. New Philadelphia Post-Ofiice opened. 

1SS7. The amended city charter, known as the Bullitt Bill, in 
operation in Philadelphia. 

18SS. The great storm, kno>vn as "The Blizzard," began March 11. 

1891. The Academy of Natural Sciences' expedition to North 
Greenland, under Lieutenant Peary, made important 
discoveries. Drexel Institute of Art, Science, and Indus- 
try dedicated. 

1895. The Philadelphia Commercial Bourse opened. 



374 HISTORY OF PENNSYLVANIA 

1897. The Commercial Section of the Philadelphia Museum opened. 

Strikers in the coal region fired on by sheriff's deputies; 
many killed and wounded. State Capitol burned at 
Harrisburg. Washington IMonument erected at Phila- 
delphia by the Society of the Cincinnati. 

1898. The National Guard of Pennsylvania called out by the 

National government to assist in the war with Spain. 

1900. The National Republican Convention for the nomination of 

candidates for President and "\^ice-President of the United 
States held at Philadelphia. 

1901. A new United States Mint building erected in Philadelphia. 

Work begun on the filtration system for supplying Phila- 
delphia with pure water. 
1903. A subway for Electric cars under Market Street begun; to 
connect with elevated roads in West Philadelphia. 

1905. Great uprising of the people against corrupt party rule. 

1906. An extra session of the Legislature passed many reform 

bills. The new State Capitol completed. 

1907. A broad parkway from the City Hall to Fairmount Park 

begun in Philadelphia. Pittsburg and Alleghany consoli- 
dated into one city. 

1908. The Philadelphia Market Street subway completed. 

1909. The filtration system completed and all of Philadelphia 

supplied with pure water. 

1910. Arrests and convictions of councilmen and bankers of 

Pittsburg for graft and bribery. Convictions and im- 
prisonment for fraud in furnishing the State Capitol. 

1911. The new State Capitol adorned by splendid groups of 

statuary and mural paintings. The great electrical 
power dam at ]Mc('airs Ferry, on the Susquehanna, 
completed. The town of Austin swept away by water 
from bursting reservoir. 



INDEX. 



A. 

Acadians, home of the, 111; ex- 
pulsion of the, by the EngUsh, 
112. 

Adams, John, on the Declaration 
of Independence Committee, 
135; elected President, 162. 

Adams, John Quincy, President, 
178. 

Agriculture, 91, 148, 279. 

Alabama and Kearsarge, the, 232. 

Alabama claims, settlement of the, 
243. 

Alaska, purchased from Russia, 
241; seal fisheries of, 254; gold 
discoveries in, 279-80. 

Allen, Ethan, capture of Ticon- 
deroga by, 131. 

Amendments to the Constitution, 
238, 242. 

America discovered by Columbus, 
6; how named, 9; native inhab- 
itants of, 26. 

American commerce, interference 
with, 166. 

American discontent, causes of, 
119-125. 

Anderson, Major, at Fort Sumter, 
210. 

Andre, Major, capture and execu- 
tion of, 144. 

Andros, Sir Edmund, 49. 

Antietam, battle of, 222. 

Arbitration, of the Alabama 
claims, 243; of the seal fisher- 
ies, 244. 

Armies, disbanding of the, 268. 

Arnold, Benedict, attack on Que- 
bec by, 133; treason of, 144. 

Arthur, Chester A., becomes 
President, 248. 

Automobiles, 273. 



B. 

Bacon, Nathaniel, rebellion of, 38. 

Balboa discovers the Pacific, 12. 

Barbary States, war with the, 174. 

Benevolence, progress of, 280. 

Bennington, battle of, 141. 

Berkeley, Governor, revenge of, 
38. 

Bicycle, the, 274. 

Blockade runners, the, 223. 

Boone, Daniel, in Kentucky, 147, 
180. 

Boston, the English besieged in, 
131; evacuation of, 133. 

Boston massacre, 124; tea-party, 
125; port bill, 125; fire, 243. 

Braddock, General, character of, 
108; defeat of, 109. 

Brandywine, battle of the, 139. 

Buchanan, James, elected Presi- 
dent, 212. 

Buena Vista, battle of, 196. 

Bull Run, first battle of, 217; 
second battle of, 222. 

Bunker Hill, battle of, 131-2. 

Burgoyne, march of, 141; sur- 
render of, 142. 

C. 

Cabots, voyages of the, 10. 

California, capture of, by Fremont, 
197; value of, 199. 

Canada, discovery of, 12. 

Canonicus, story of, 41. 

Carolinas, the, settled by the 
French, 18; colonization of, 77; 
war of, with Florida, 81; divis- 
ion of, 81; life in, 84-5. 

Cartier, Jacques, voyages of, 12. 

Census of 1890, the, 253; of 1900, 
260; 1910, 265, 275. 

i 



u 



INDEX 



Centennial Exhibition, the, 244. 

Cervera, Admiral, defeat of, at 
Santiago, 259. 

Champlain, Samuel de, story of, 
22-24. 

Chancellorsville, battle of, 226. 

Charleston, capture of, in the 
Revolutionary war, 145; bom- 
bardment of Fort Sumter at, 
216; earthquake at, 249. 

Charter, the Boston, 42. 

Charter Oak, the, 49. 

Claims of the nations, 11. 

Charter troubles, the, 48. 

Chattanooga, the battles around, 
229. 

Chicago fire, the, 242; anarchists, 
the, 249. 

Chicago, the World's Fair at, 261. 

Chinese exclusion, 251. 

Cities of Revolutionary times, the, 
151-2. 

City life after the Revolution, 182. 

Civil Service Reform, 256. 

Civil war, description of the, 216- 
33. 

Clay, Henry, 194, 210. 

Clayborne's rebellion, 68. 

Cleveland, Grover, elected Presi- 
dent, 249, 255. 

Coal, 187. 

Colonies, growth of, 91; industries 
of, 91 ; isolation of, 91 ; travel in, 
93; government and laws of, 93. 

Columbus, Christopher, story of, 
3-9. 

Commerce, Department of, 261. 

Commerce, interference with 
American, 93, 167. 

Commerce of New England, 149; 
of the United States, 281. 

Concord, stores at, 127; English 
expedition against, 127-9. 

Confederacy, the New England, 
48; the Southern, 215. 

Congress, the first Continental, 
126, the second Continental, 
132; after the Revolution, 158; 
the Constitutional, 159; Pan- 
American, 251. 

Connecticut, Dutch and English 
in, 62. 



Constitution and Guerri&re, battle 
between the, 171. 

Constitution of the United 
States, formation of the, 159; 
character of the, 160; amend- 
ments to the, 238, 242. 

Constitutional Convention, the, 
159. 

Continental Congress, the first, 
126; the second, 132. 

Copyright Bill, the, 253. 

Cornwallis, surrender of, 146. 

Cortez and Pizarro, 13. 

Cotton cultivation in the South, 
184. 

Cotton-gin, invention of the, 184. 

Creek Indians, the, 90, 192. 

Cuba, war in, 257; republic of, 
260. 

Customs of the Puritans, 54-60; 
of the Dutch, 65-7; of the 
Pennsylvanians, 74-7; of the 
Virginians and Carolinians, 80- 
5; of the Georgians, 89; of the 
United States people, 182-4. 

D. 

Davis, Jefferson, President of the 

Confederacy, 215, 221. 
Decatur, Lieutenant, exploits of, 

166, 174. 
Declaration of Independence, 135- 

7. 
Delaware, Lord, comes to Virginia, 

36. 
Delaware settled by the Swedes, 

63; how named, 73; separated 

froni Pennsylvania, 73. 
Delaware River, the, 62. 
Democratic party, the, 175, 178, 

202. 
Denys, John, discovery by, 11. 
De Soto, expedition of, 14-17. 
Departments, U. S. Government, 

261. 
Dewey, Admiral, victoiy of, at 

Manila, 258. 
Drake, Sir Francis, exploits of, 

17. 
Dred Scott Case, the, 212. 
Duke of York, the, 63. 



INDEX 



lU 



Dutch in Connecticut, the, 44; in 
New York, 61; Swedish settle- 
ment captured by the, 63; 
houses of the, 66; dress and 
industries of the, 66. 

Dutch settlement taken by the 
Enghsh, 63. 

E. 

Education, in Virginia, 84; prog- 
ress of, in the United States, 
205, 280. 

Electric cable, laying of the, 269. 

Electric cars, 273. 

Electricity, discoveries in, 270. 

Emancipation of the slaves, 225. 

Embargo Act, the, 167. 

Emigration along the Ohio, 181. 

England, first exploration from, 
10, restrictive laws of, 93; 
oppressive edicts of, 119-204; 
troubles with, 167; military 
strength of, 168. 

English colonies, the first, 20; 
claims of the, 99. 

English companies, the, 33; pris- 
ons, the, 86. 

English soldiers sent to America, 
123. 

Escape of Mrs. Dustin, 53. 

Exhibitions, industrial, 249, 255, 
261, 265. 

F. 

Farm life in America, 183. 

Farming industries, 148. 

Farragut, Admiral, on the Missis- 
sippi, 219; in Mobile Bay, 232, 

Fillmore, Millard, becomes Presi- 
dent, 209. 

Fish culture, 280. 

Florida discovered, 12; war of, 
with Carolina, SO; with Geor- 
gia, 87; with the United States, 
175; purchase of, 175. 

Fort Du Quesne, building of, 107, 
108; expedition against, 108; 
capture of, 110. 

Fort Moultrie, defence of, 133. 

Fort Necessity, 107. 

Fort Sumter, bombardment of , 216. 



Fort Ticonderoga, 113, 114. 

France, expedition from, 11; 
treaty with, 142. 

Franklin, Benjamin, sketch of life, 
76-7; sent to London, 123; on 
the Declaration of Indepen- 
dence Committee, 135; in the 
Constitutional Convention, 159. 

Fredericksburg, battle of, 223. 

Free Soil party, the, 212. 

Fremont, General, takes Cali- 
fornia, 197. 

French and Indian war, the, 107- 
116. 

French and Indians, wars with 
the, 53^. 

French, colonies of, in America, 
18, 22; settlements of, in the 
West, 97; enterprise of, 100; 
forts of, on the Mississippi, 103; 
claims of, to the Ohio country, 
104. 

Fugitive slave law, the, 210. 

Fulton, Robert, the steamboat 
invented by, 184. 

Fur trade, the, 200. 

Q. 

Garfield, James A., elected Presi- 
dent, 247; assassination of, 248. 

Georgia, settlement of, 86; war of, 
with Florida, 87; laws and 
industries of, 88. 

Germantown, battle of, 140. 

Gettysburg, battle of, 227. 

Gilbert, Sir Humphrey, voyage 
of, 20. 

Gold, discovered in California, 198, 
results of the discovery of, 199; 
specie pavments of, resumed, 
241; in Alaska, 275, 279. 

Good feeling, the era of, 175. 

Gosnold, Bartholomew, 22. 

Gourgues, Dominique de, revenge 
of, 20. 

Govermnent, " Grand Model, " the 
78. 

Government of the Puritans, 41- 
43; of New England, 48; of the 
Carolinas, 78; of Virginia, 82-3; 
of the United States, 159-62. 



IV 



INDEX 



Grant, General, in civil war, 208; 
at Vicksburg, 228; commander- 
in-chief, 229; advance of, on 
Richmond, 230; elected Presi- 
dent, 242, 24)3. 

Greene, General, campaign of, 145. 

Growth of the colonies, 91, 126; 
of the population, ISO; of the 
country, 201. 

H. 

Habits of the people, 152. 

Harper's Ferry, the raid on, 213. 

Harrison, Benjamin, elected Presi- 
dent, 251; second nomination 
of, 255. 

Harrison, General, defeats Tecum- 
seh, 168; victory of, on the 
Thames, 170; elected President, 
193. 

Hawaii, annexation of, 260. 

Haves, Rutherford B., elected 
President, 244. 

Henry, Patrick, opposes the Eng- 
lish taxation, 123. 

Hood, General, defeat of, at Nash- 
ville, 231-2. 

Hooker, General, 226. 

Hudson, Henry, discoveries of, 
25-6. 

I. 

Immigration, 202, 275. 

Independence, Declaration of, 135 
meaning of the, 137. 

Indian raids in Virginia, 110. 

Indian Territory, the, 192, 262. 

Indians, named by Columbus, 7; 
first battle with the, 23; descrip- 
tion of the, 26-31; of Virginia, 
the, 34; of New England, 41 ; dis- 
posal and education of the, 275. 

Indians, the Quakers and the, 71, 
75. 

Indians, wars with the, 49-53, 117, 
162, 168, 191. 

Industries of the Puritans, 59; of 
the Carolinas, 79; of Georgia, 
89; of the colonies, 91. 

Industry, restoration of, 174. 



Internal improvements, 177. 
Invention, activity of Americana 

in, 204; progress of, 277. 
Iroquois, defeat of, by Champlain, 

23; revenge of, 24-29. 
Irrigation in the West, 262. 

J. 

Jackson, General, at New Orleans, 
171; in Florida, 175; elected 
President, 187; character of, 
187; dealings of, with South 
Carolina, 188; with the United 
States Bank, 188. 

Jackson, Stonewall, exploits of, 
221; death of, 226. 

James River, colony on the, 33. 

Jamestown, 33, 37. 

Jasper, Sergeant, daring of, 133. 

Jefferson, Thomas, writes the 
Declaration of Independence, 
135; elected President, 163—4. 

John Brown raid, the, 203. 

Johnson, Andrew, becomes Presi- 
dent, 238 ; impeachment of, 239. 

Johnstown disaster, the, 251. 

Jones, Captain Paul, story of, 143. 

K. 

Kansas, the troubles in, 211. 
Ividd, Captain, 54. 
King Philip, war with, 50; death 
of, 52. 

L. 

Lafayette, General, 139. 

Lake Champlain, battle of, 170. 

Lake Erie, battle of, 170. 

Lake George, battle of, 114. 

Landing of Columbus, the, 7. 

La Salle, story of, 101-2. 

Laws, of Georgia, 88; English colo- 
nial, 94, 120; evasion of, 120. 

Lee, General, made Confederate 
commander, 221; advances 
north, 222, 226; in the Wilder- 
ness, 226, 230; at Gettysburg, 
227; defends Richmond, 230; 
surrender of, 233. 



INDEX 



Lee, Richard Henry, motion for 
liberty of the colonies made by, 
135. 

Leisler's revolt, 64. 

Lewis and Clark, expedition of, 
199. 

Lexington, battle of, 128-9. 

Lincoln, Abraham, elected Presi- 
dent, 214; emancipates the 
slaves, 225; assassination of, 
233. 

Locke, John, plan of government 
of, 78. 

Lookout Mountain, battle of, 229. 

Lord Baltimore, 68-9. 

Louisburg, capture of, 111. 

Louisiana, named by La Salle, 
102; purchase of, 165. 

M. 

McClellan, General, besieges Rich- 
mond, 221; retreat of, 222; at 
Antietam, 222. 

Mcllinley, William, elected Presi- 
dent, 257, 260; murder of, 260. 

Machinery, invention of, 277. 

MacUson, James, elected Presi- 
dent, 167. 

Magellan sails round the globe, 13. 

Maine, the sinking of the, 257. 

Manhattan Island bought by the 
Dutch, 61. 

Manila, naval victory at, 259. 

Manufactures in America, 120, 
150, 203, 276. 

Marco Polo, travels of, 2. 

Mariner's compass, discovery of 
the, 2. 

IMarion, General, 145. 

Marquette discovers the Missis- 
sippi, 100. 

Maryland, settlement of, 67-9. 

Massachusetts Bay settlement, 
42-4. 

Massacre of the French colonists, 
19; at Fort Wiiham Henry, 114; 
of Wyoming, 143. 

Massacres, Inchan, in Virginia, 37; 
in New England, 53-4. 

Meade, General; 227. 

Menendez, massacre by, 19-20. 



Mexican war, the, 194-7. 

Mineral wealth of the United 
States, 276, 279. 

Mines, value of, 203, 279. 

Minute-men, the, 126, 129. 

Mississippi, jetties of the, 247. 

Mississippi River discovered by 
De Soto, 15; discovered by 
Marquette, 100; explored by 
La Salle, 102; opening of the, 
210, 219. 

Missouri Compromise, the, 126, 211. 

Monitor and Merrimac, the, 22.3-4. 

Monroe, James, elected President, 
175. 

Monroe Doctrine, the, 177. 

Montcalm, Marquis de, in com- 
mand at Quebec, 115; death of, 
116. 

Montreal, 116. 

Mormons, the, 202. 

Morse's telegraph, 204. 

Mound-builders, the, 26. 

Murfreesborough, battle of, 219. 

N. 

Narragansetts, defeat of the, 51-2, 
Narvaez, adventures of, 14. 
Nashville, Hood's defeat at, 232. 
Natural gas, 280. 
Natural resources of the United 

States, 263. 
Navy, the new, 274. 
Negro plot in New York, 64. 
Negroes first brought to America, 

37. 
New England, settlement of, 41-3; 

warhke feeling in, 127; in arms, 

129. 
New Jersey, settlement of, 78. 
New Mexico, capture of, 197-8. 
New Orleans, founding of, 103; 

battle of, 172; surrender of, 219. 
New York, discovery of, 25; set- 
tled by the Dutch, 61; taken 

by the English; 63; Ufe in, 65-6; 

captured in the Revolutionary 

W^ar, 137. 
Newspapers and books, increase 

of, 151, 205. 
Norsemen, the, 2. 



VI 



INDEX 



O. 

Oglethorpe, character of, 86; 

colony of, in Georgia, 86; later 

life of, 88; gift to, from the 

Indians, 90. 
Ohio Company, the, 104. 
Ohio River, claims to the valley 

of the, 104. 
Oklahoma, 262. 
Oregon, acquirement of, 200-1. 

P. 

Pacific States, progress of the, 278. 

Panama Canal, the, 261. 

Pan-American Congress, the, 251. 

Panic, of 1837, 190, 192; of 1873, 
243; of 1893, 255. 

Parties, in the United States, 175- 
78; new political, 212. 

Patroons, the Dutch, 67. 

Penn, William, story of, 70-72; 
treaty of, with the Indians, 71. 

Pennsylvania, settlement of, 71-3; 
hfe in, 74-6. 

Pension list, the, 254. 

People, modes of life of American, 
146-8, 180; prosperity of the 
186. 

Pequot war, the, 50-1. 

Perry, Captain, victory of, on 
Lake Erie, 170. 

Petroleum, 280. 

Philadelphia, founding of, 71; de- 
scription of, 74-5; taken by the 
British, 139; evacuated by the 
British, 142. 

Philippine Islands, naval victory 
at the, 258; annexation of the, 
259; war in the, 259. 

Pierce, Franklin, elected Presi- 
dent, 211. 

Pilgrims, settlement of the, 39-42. 

Pioneers of the South, 147; of the 
North, 180. 

Pirates of the Carolinas, the, 67, 
79. 

Pittsburg Landing, battle of, 218. 

Pizarro in Peru, 13. 

Plantations, life on the, 81. 

Plymouth Company, 40-2. 



Pocahontas, the story of, 34. 

Political parties, 163, 178. 

Polk, James K., elected President, 

194. 
Ponce de Leon's expedition to 

Florida, 12. 
Pontiac, Indian war of, 117. 
Population, of the colonies, 147; 

increase of, 180, 201, 253, 275. 
Populist party, the, 257. 
Porto Rico, invasion of, 259. 
Postal service, the, 272. 
Prisons, improvement in, 205. 
Progress of the South, 277. 
Proprietors of the Carolinas, the 

78. 
Punishments in New England, 57; 

in Virginia, 83. 
Puritan colonj', the, 42-5. 
Puritans, life among the, 42-5. 

Q. 

Quakers, persecution of the, 45; 
description of, 70; in Pennsyl- 
vania, 72; in New Jersey, 72; 
dealings with the Indians, 75. 

Quebec, founding of, 22; capture 
of, by Wolfe, 115-6; repulse 
from, 133. 

R. 

Railroad, introduction of the, 
185-6. 

Railroads, in the United States, 
271; usefulness of the, 272. 

Raleigh, Sir Walter, colonies of, 
20-1. 

Reconstruction of the Union, 238. 

Religious liberty in Rhode Island, 
44; in Maryland, 68; in Penn- 
sylvania, 73. 

Religious persecution in the colon- 
ies, 45-6, 69, 84. 

Republican-Democratic party, the 
145, 178. 

Republican party, the, 178, 212. 

Revere, Paul, ride of, 127-8. 

Revolution, war of the, 128—46. 

Rhode Island, settlement of, 45. 

Ribault's colony, 18. 



INDEX 



vn 



Rice introduced into America, 79. 

Richmond made the Confederate 
States capital, 221; besieged 
by McClellan, 221; Grant's 
advance on, 230; Lee's retreat 
from, 233. 

liloosevelt, Theodore, elected Vice- 
President, 260; becomes Presi- 
dent, 261; elected President, 
264. 

S, 

St. Augustine, founding of, 18. 

Salem witchcraft, the, 46. 

San Francisco earthcjuake, the, 
262. 

Santiago, surrender of, 259. 

Scott, General, victories of, in 
Canada, 170; campaign of, in 
Mexico, 196. 

Seal fisheries of Alaska, 254. 

Secession of the Southern States, 
215, 216. 

Serapis, capture of the, by the 
Bonhomme Richard, 143. 

Settlements in the interior, 147, 
181. 

Seven days' fight, the, 222. 

Shays's rebellion, 157. 

Sheridan's ride, 230. 

Sherman, General, attacks Vicks- 
burg, 228; in command of 
Western army, 230; marches 
through Georgia, 221; advances 
north, 232. 

Signal service, the, 269. 

Slave law, fugitive, 210, 

Slavery in the colonies, 93; diffi- 
culties about, 176, 209. 

Slaves, emancipation of the, 225. 

Smith, Captain John, story of, 
34-6. 

Smith, progress of the, 277. 

South Carolina, the Revolutionary 
war in, 145; tariff troubles in, 
89; secession of, 214; invaded 
by Sherman, 232. 

Spain, Columbus aided by, 4; 
reception of Columbus in, 8; 
crueltj'^ of, in Cuba, 257; war 
of, with United States, 258-9. 



Stamp Act, the, 122; repeal of, 123. 
Standard time, 249. 
Standish, Captain Miles, 41, 42. 
Stark, General, at Bennington, 

141. 
State Rights doctrine, the, 214. 
States, the original, 153, forma 

tion of new, 163, 176. 
Steamboat, invention of the, IBS 
Steamship, the first ocean, 185. 
Strikes of workmen, 246. 
Swedes, settlement of, on the 

Delaware River, 63; Dutch 

capture of, 63. 



Taft, William H., elected Presi- 
dent, 264. 

Tecumseh, 168, 170. 

Tariff question, the, 177, 253, 264. 
234. 

Tax on tea, the, 124-5. 

Taxation, the dispute about, 121, 
124. 

Taylor, General, advance of, into 
Mexico, 195; victory of, at 
Buena Vista, 195; elected Presi- 
dent, 196, 209. 

Tea, the tax on, 124-25; the 
refusal to receive, 125. 

Telegraph, the electric, 204; length 
of, in the United States, 269. 

Telegraphy, wireless, 270. 

Temperance reform, the, 179. 

Territory, acquisition of, from 
Mexico, 198; increase of, 199. 

Texas, La Salle's colony in, 103; 
independence of, 194; annexed 
by the United States, 194; 
result of its annexation, 195. 

Thames, battle of the, 170. 

Thomas, General, victory of, at 
Nashville, 231. 

Ticonderoga, English repulse at, 
113; capture of, 130, 141. 

Tobacco, introduced into Europe, 
21; culture of, in Virginia, 37; 
used as money, 81. 

Travel in the colonies, 93; diffi- 
culties of, 152; recent facility 
in, 273. 



nil 



INDEX 



Treaties of peace with England, 

146, 173. 
Treaty of peace with Spain, 260. 
Tripoli, war with, 166. 
Tyler, John, becomes President, 

193. 
Tyranny in Europe, 85; ten years 

of, 127. 

U. 

United States Bank, the, 190. 

United States, people of, 147; 
farming population of, 148; 
commerce of, 149; manufac- 
tures of, 152; travel in, 152; 
cities of, 153; extent of, 153; 
States of, 153, 176. 

Utah made a State, 255. 

V. 

Valley Forge, suffering of the 
army at, 140. 

Van Buren, Martin, elected Presi- 
dent, 192. 

Vera Cruz, capture of, 196. 

Verrazano, voyage of, 11. 

Vicksburg, passing the forts at, 
219; siege and surrender of, 
228. 

Vinland, 3. 

Virginia, settlement of, 33; Ohio 
valley claimed by, 104. 

Virginians, modes of life of the, 
81-4. 

Voyage of Columbus, the, 1, 3, 9. 

W. 

War, French and Indian, 107-16; 
Revolutionary, 128-46; second, 
with England, 168-73; with 
Mexico, 194-7; civil, 216-33; 
results of the civil, 236-8; 
Cuban, 258. 



Wars with the Indians, 49-5^ 
107, 168, 191. 

Washington, George, early life of, 
105; journey of, to the Ohio, 
106; in the French and Indian 
war, 107; made commander- 
in-chief, 132; retreat from New 
York, 137; victory at Trenton, 
138; at Valley Forge, 140; pur- 
sues the British, 142; at York- 
town, 146; patriotism of, 158; 
elected President, 161, death of, 
164. 

Washington City, the founding of, 
162; the burning of, 171. 

AVasliington Monument, the, 248. 

Wayne, General, capture of Stony 
Point by, 143; defeat of the 
Western Indians by, 162. 

Wealth, increase of, 203. 

Webster, Daniel, 206. 

West, settlements in the, 147, 161, 
181; the war in the, 218-228, 
231; irrigation in the, 262; 
mining in the, 279. 

Whig party, the, 178, 212. 

Whitney, Eli, invention of the 
cotton-gin by, 184. 

Wilderness, battle of the, 226, 
230. 

Williams, Roger, story of, 51, 
445. 

Witchcraft, the Salem, 46. 

Wolfe, General, capture of Quebec 
by, 115; death of, 116. 

World's Fair, the Centennial, 255; 
the Columbian, 261; the St. 
Louis, 265. 

Wyoming, massacre of, 143. 

V. 

Yellow fever in the South, 246. 
Yorktowu, the surrender of, 146. 



SFP 9 1912 



